Covid-19: Belgium imposes new restriction measures
The Grand Place in Brussels, generally very busy, only receives visits from pigeons, confinement requires.
REUTERS - YVES HERMAN
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
Faced with the arrival in force of contaminations with the English variant of the coronavirus, Belgium is facing a health situation described as more serious than during the last four months.
The number of new contaminations soared from 41% in one week to an average of 4,000 per day.
The Belgian authorities have therefore decided on new restrictive measures, in particular with the closure of schools from primary onwards.
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With our correspondent in Brussels
,
Pierre Benazet
As of Monday, primary and secondary schools will be closed in Belgium.
Only kindergartens remain open.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo describes these new restrictions as an Easter break, a four-week lockdown with the aim of reopening schools on April 19, the date of the originally planned end of the Easter holidays: “
I am well aware that it is measures which are difficult to swallow, and certainly for those who see for example their professional activity constrained.
But if these decisions were not taken, the consequences would clearly be even more serious.
We have seen that contaminations are doubling practically every two weeks, we see that there is a pressure that is building in intensive care, which has the risk of being untenable in the long term
”.
The ban on leaving Belgium as well as the various curfews are maintained, controls on respect for teleworking will be reinforced and the “social bubble” which had been brought to ten people outside is reduced to gatherings of four people.
Until April 25, non-essential businesses will be accessible only by appointment and so-called contact professions, such as hairdressers, are closed.
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To read also: Covid-19: Belgium tightens its restrictions to cope with the arrival of a 3rd wave
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