A “refugee” couple detained in a Dutch hospital without Corona: “This shame definitely has a tail” | Abroad

Pimenta initially tested positive last week when she arrived in the Netherlands on a flight from South Africa. As a new and possibly more contagious species is making the rounds, the municipal health service has asked her to go into self-isolation. Her husband was also advised to go into quarantine, although the tests came back negative.

The two stayed at the Ramada Hotel in Badhoevedorp. However, they called it quits after nearly three days. They booked a ticket to Barcelona and wanted to leave on Sunday evening, but the mayor of the quarantine hotel stopped it. Pimenta was removed from the plane shortly before take-off because it “poses a public health risk”.

The couple was subsequently imprisoned at the Beatrixford Tuberculosis Center in Harren. Several corona tests were run there again, which have now turned out to be negative. Their lawyer said: “This circus was all for nothing. Surely if you read now also that the alternative Omicron was already in the Netherlands a week ago.”

According to Maes, a claim will now certainly be filed because, he said, they were wrongly detained. “That sounds a little silly to me.”

In its response, the Public Prosecution said that the decision to place them in a closed circle was not taken seriously. Among other things, advice was sought from the Health Care Inspector General, as required by law. And because the woman tested negative yesterday, the requirement for forced isolation has been rescinded. Her husband has never tested positive and is therefore allowed to go home.

The couple previously said in a TV interview with a Catalan channel that they had not “escaped” from quarantine. They said that the whole situation was based on a great misunderstanding. After the consultation, they were allowed to pass the self-test. When it turned out negative, they were going to get permission from several people to leave.