The couple are from Gorredijk in the gemeente Opsterland
Translated by Thomas Ansell
The first Frisian victims of the COVID-19 Coronavirus were detected yesterday. The pair are now in isolation at home, and the GGD (Public Health Service) will update further this morning. As reported by the Omrop Fryslan.
The GGD will be looking for any people that the couple have come into contact with, in a similar manner to other Coronavirus cases. The Dutch government will today release advice that Dutch people no longer shake hands when greeting eachother. Anyone with a cough, cold, or fever will be requested to stay at home and avoid social contact.
On February 27, the first infection in the Netherlands was confirmed; leading to a man being isolated in a hospital in Tilburg. The next day a woman in Amsterdam was also confirmed as having the virus. On Monday of this week there were 321 confirmed cases in the Netherlands, with three confirmed deaths.
Most of the Dutch Corona cases have recently returned from Northern Italy, a region that has the most confirmed cases of the virus outside of China.
Anyone with questions about their health is requested to contact the GGD or their family doctor. It is preferable to do this by telephone to avoid any chance of passing on either the COVID-19 virus or anything else you happen to have in a waiting room or queue. The RIVM (National Centre for Public Health) has a special page with the most-asked questions and answers. There is also a dedicated question-line: 0800-1351
Margriet de Graaf, of the GGD Friesland said: “in principle there isn’t yet any reason to panic. The Coronavirus seems to be no more dangerous than existing flu’s. We are taking extra precautions because it is a new virus.”
Image via Wikimedia user ScientificAnimations
