BRUSSELS, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Belgium is set to lift the test or quarantine requirement for people who come in contact with someone with COVID-19 from March 17, the country's health ministers decided on Wednesday.
However, a daily self-test and the wearing of face masks for at least seven days after the high-risk contact are still strongly recommended.
Those who show symptoms of COVID-19 should get tested and isolate themselves if they test positive, the ministers said.
Belgium switched to "code yellow" on its coronavirus barometer on March 4 as the country's epidemiological situation was deemed favorable.
At their meeting on Wednesday, the ministers also discussed prolonging the COVID-19 vaccination campaign and rolling out a second booster dose next autumn, starting with nursing home residents and people above the age of 75.
The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the country has increased by three percent since last week to 2,007. Of them, 197 are in intensive care.
Since the start of the pandemic, Belgium has recorded 3,609,122 confirmed coronavirus infections and 30,313 deaths. ■