The authorities warn Belgian citizens to be careful from fake websites offering to complete Passenger Locator Forms (PLF) on behalf of the FPS Public Health in exchange for money.
“Currently, there are fake websites that offer to fill in fake PLFs. In this, private information and payment are wrongly requested on behalf of the FPS Public Health. These sites do not belong to us and constitute an attempt at fraud,” the press release issued by info-coronavirus.be notes.
The authorities also explain that forged websites would be taken down urgently as a complaint has been submitted regarding the matter, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
PLF is the entry registration form that has to be completed by foreign travellers reaching Belgium and Belgian residents returning to the country after a 48-hour, or longer, stay abroad. Travellers entering Belgium after staying in a very high-risk country in the last two weeks are also obliged to complete the form, regardless of the stay’s length. The form enables passengers to be identified and contacted after they enter the country.
In order to enter Belgium, internationals must also present a vaccination, recovery or negative test certificate or the EU Digital COVID-19 Certificate.
Vaccinated travellers must have had their final shot administered 14 days before travelling to Belgium, whereas those recovered from the virus have to present a positive PCR test result no older than 180 days.
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For those presenting a negative test certificate, a PCR test performed 72 hours before reaching the country has to be provided. However, the testing requirement depends on which list the country of origin is placed on.
Arrivals from green and orange countries are exempted from the testing and quarantine requirement, whereas non-vaccinated travellers coming from red zone countries must undergo a testing requirement before reaching Belgium. Moreover, another test has to be taken upon arrival, in addition to a ten-day quarantine requirement. The self-isolation time can be reduced if a test is performed on the seventh day of quarantine.
Third countries on Belgium’s red list include:
- Azerbaijan
- Albania
- Armenia
- Brunei Darussalam
- Japan
- Serbia
However, if the travellers are vaccinated, have recovered from COVID-19, or tested negative recently, they are also exempted from quarantine and testing requirements upon reaching Belgium.
As of September 17, two COVID-19 positive cases were confirmed, increasing the total of people affected by the virus in Belgium to 1,215,114, data by the World Health Organization show.
Since the pandemic has started, 25,486 people have died in Belgium due to complications related to Coronavirus.
Furthermore, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) data reveals that 84.2 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated, whereas 85.9 per cent got their first shot of the vaccine.