Belgium to Test Wastewater on Airliners From China to Independently Track China’s COVID-19 Claims

A Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplane delivered to Air China during a ceremony at Boeing Zhoushan 737 Completion and Delivery Center in Zhoushan, in China's eastern Zhejiang Province, on Dec. 15, 2018. STR/AFP via Getty Images

Belgium will test wastewater from planes arriving from China for new COVID variants as part of new steps to monitor the virus as infections in China surge, the government announced on Monday.

“This will be an additional monitoring objective to verify that the data we receive from China is accurate,” Steven Van Gucht of the Sciensano national public health institute told Reuters.