2G access passes could halve Covid infections compared to 3G; Test-only access not effective

A 2G access policy will decrease the number of coronavirus infections where it applies by half compared to the 3G policy, according to calculations from the Outbreak Management Team. A 1G policy, based only on negative Covid-19 tests, is much less effective, reducing infections by some 35 percent compared to 3G, NU.nl reports.

With the 2G access policy, people vaccinated against Covid-19 or who recently recovered from a coronavirus infection can get access to certain places, like events and restaurants, for example. The 3G policy also allows access to people who tested negative for Covid-19. The 1G access policy only allows in people who tested negative.

According to the OMT, the number of Covid-19 hospitalizations is about 82 percent lower with 2G than 3G. The 1G system will decrease hospitalizations by about 35 percent. 

The most effective system would be one that only allowed access to vaccinated and recovered people who also tested negative for Covid-19, the OMT said. This reduces infections by 79 percent and hospital admissions by 93 percent, compared to the current 3G system. 

The expert team stressed that there are some uncertainties in the calculations. For example, they depend on how effective the vaccine is and how accurate the test results are.