Belgian scientists set out lab lockdown measures

The biomedical community in Belgium has issued a statement explaining the measures it has taken to protect staff and research animals during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The statement (also in Dutch and French) was released by the institutions in Belgium that are part of the national transparency agreement on animal research.

They explained how, in some cases, institutions had been forced to downsize breeding colonies, including euthanasia, ‘to safeguard the care capacity within the laboratory animal facility’.

The statement continued: “The measures that have been taken here are only intended to guarantee the health and safety of both the personnel and the laboratory animals.”

While precise figures were not yet available they would be recorded in the animal statistics for 2020.