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The Belgian government has announced a ban on night traffic, as well as the closure of bars and restaurants for a month, as part of its efforts to combat the coronavirus.
Brussels had already decided to close bars and cafes, but now the measure has been extended to the whole country and now also applies to restaurants. The decision was made because experts believe that in these areas there is the greatest spread of the virus, the government announced.
The decision will take effect on Monday. The curfew will be in effect from midnight to 05:00 in the morning.
Despite measures taken last week, the spread of the coronavirus is accelerating with the numbers doubling every week, Prime Minister Alexander de Croix said after a government meeting.
“Today, almost 2,000 people are receiving treatment. Yesterday 35 people died from the coronation. The figures are worrying and are higher than those of March and April.” And the next few days will not be positive days, the numbers will continue to increase, “he added.
Likewise, among other measures, meetings of up to four people are allowed, Christmas shopping is canceled, teleworking becomes the norm and the sale of alcohol after 8:00 p.m. is prohibited.
“We realize that these measures are very harsh,” admitted the Belgian prime minister. “It just came to our notice then. This virus affects us all a lot. We will face a very difficult few weeks.” But now is the time to act to avoid the worst. “
The objective is to avoid a new blockade, but also to avoid saturation of the health system, explained Georges Zilkine, one of the vice-presidents of the Belgian government.
“The situation is serious from a health point of view.” Our hospitals are full, “he said.” The numbers are as high as in March, when we decided to close, this is what we want to avoid, “he added.
So far, 191,959 coronavirus cases and 10,327 deaths have been reported in Belgium. In recent days, the rate of hospital admissions has risen considerably, mainly in Brussels and the French-speaking provinces.
With information from ΑΠΕ, Reuters
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