Nijmegen sees spike in positive Covid tests after Vierdaagse marches

People testing positive for the coronavirus in Nijmegen and the surrounding area often say they were at the Vierdaagse marches in the source investigation. GGD Gelderland-Zuid confirmed this after a report in De Gelderlander. Until Friday, Nijmegen was the center of the International Four Day Marches and the much-visited festivities around it.

In Nijmegen, 162 people tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday, compared to an average of 95 per day last week. In the slightly larger Breda, for example, there were 13 positive tests on Monday. However, the average there was also lower last week at 57 per day.

GGD Gelderland-Zuid also noticed a slight increase in the number of requests for coronavirus tests. That doesn’t say much, however, as the participants in the famous walking event come from all over the world, and the extensive party program also attracts people from more places than Nijmegen alone.

Moreover, self-testing is the norm now for coronavirus symptoms in the Netherlands. People only go to the GGD if they need proof of recovery, for example.