“Require Covid Safe Ticket for hospital and care home visitors”
Flemish care organisations have called for the introduction of the Covid Safe Ticket (CST) as mandatory for visitors to care homes and hospitals. The obligation is likely to be introduced in Brussels on 1 October.
Margot Cloet of care network Zorgnet-Icuro: “It’s unanimous. Our hospitals want visitors to present their CST” she told the daily De Morgen.
The CST allows you to show that you are fully vaccinated, recently tested negative or have antibodies through a recent illness. Until now the CST has only been used for foreign travel or to attend a mass event.
Margot Cloet believes Flanders should not stay behind: “First of all this will show people how important it is to get jabbed. Secondly, it ensures that as much as possible hospitals are corona-free areas. If you are vaccinated, you have less chance of getting the virus and it’s harder to pass it on. We also want to protect care staff.”
Cloet believes the CST will help to allow the most vulnerable patients, e.g. patients receiving palliative care or children to get a visit: “The alternative is to take a test and show you are not infected.”
The care chief admits hospitals are not yet kitted out to conduct checks: “We will look at how to do it. It may involve a little hassle, but it’s so important to signal we wish to keep the virus out.”
Flemish health minister Beke has asked the Flemish taskforce to consider the matter. This will allow the Flemish government to look into the idea at least as far as care homes are concerned.