Covid-19: cafes and bars closed for a month in Brussels
A café terrace on the Grand-Place in Brussels, while the spread of Covid-19 continues, October 7, 2020. REUTERS / Yves Herman
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4 min
Cafes and bars will close for a month from Thursday in Brussels, Belgian authorities have announced.
Faced with the resurgence of Covid-19 cases, these new measures have been taken by the regional government of the Belgian capital according to which Brussels is now behind Madrid the second city where the pandemic is spreading the fastest.
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With our correspondent in Brussels,
Pierre Benazet
In this square in the east of Brussels, the cafes that survived the confinement have all extended their terraces.
Unsurprisingly, the closure of drinking establishments is very poorly accepted by cafe owners, such as Matteo, whose establishment has never been empty since the
deconfinement
.
"
We are a small bistro, we didn't ask for anything, we are doing as best we can, but aside from that however we have the right to eat at the restaurant, we have the right to eat at the restaurant. Mcdonalds.
I think that perhaps the Belgian state should question itself.
Now people will stay at home and then they will complain because there will be people who are going to be depressed, who are going to commit suicides.
What about poor traders like us, who might go bankrupt, how are they going to pay back everything they have to pay?
"
On the terrace, customers enjoy a last afternoon in the sun, they do not accept the closure decree any better.
Some like André are already planning to leave Brussels for a drink.
"
So we can go for a drink 4 or 5 kilometers from here, that's rubbish.
It's rubbish,
he insists.
I think the Belgian state is laughing at us, but completely.
I don't see the point in addition, we will do open bars at home perhaps.
"
Restaurants remain open in Brussels, but from this Thursday cafes, bars, theaters or sports clubs, all will have to close for one month.
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