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The Belgian Prime Minister announced this Friday a “stricter confinement”, justifying the “drastic and painful measures” with the need to ensure that health services do not “collapse”, at a time when the pressure on hospitals is on limit, to which is added the wear and tear of health professionals.
Alexander de Croo says they are “last chance measures”, in a serious call for understanding and greater collaboration from the Belgians. From week to week, the federal government has been introducing and tightening measures, with some tweezers and several times exceeding the rigidity of the decisions of the regional governments of Brussels and Wallonia.
The executive wanted to allow time for the first major restrictions (closing bars and restaurants two weeks ago) to begin to take effect. This did not happen. The measures weren’t enough to stop infections and hospitalizations. The consequence is now a heavier hand.
As of Monday, all trades considered non-essential purposes and the so-called contact professions, such as hairdressers and beauty salons, also cease. Teleworking, which was already highly recommended, becomes mandatory. In cases where this is not possible, such as factories, companies must ensure the necessary sanitary measures.
They also close zoos. The hotels are open, but meals will have to be served in the rooms and not in the restaurants and bars in the hotel spaces, as it has been until now. Funerals can have a maximum of 15 people.
The federal government, in consultation with regional governments, not only reinforces the call to reduce interactions, but also reduces the bubble of allowed contacts and stops family and friends gatherings, which are identified as one of the main sources of contagion. . Until now, a family could receive up to four people at home (which should always be the same for at least fifteen days), but as of Monday the bubble is reduced to a single person outside the home. The exception is for those who live alone, who can receive up to two visits, as long as not at the same time.
Outside the home, the “rule of four” remains. In other words, gatherings of up to four people can go for walks or exercise, but it is necessary to wear a mask and maintain social distance.
The Belgian authorities acknowledge the harshness of the measures, arguing, however, that it is a “confinement without isolation”, since some contacts are allowed to maintain the mental health of the Belgians. But the call is for the interaction to be primarily virtual.
Contrary to what happened during the first lockdown, there are, for now, no movement restrictions within Belgium either. Travel and flights are not recommended, but are permitted and airports are open.
Schools are expected to reopen in mid-November
The government seeks to preserve the health system, at a time when the scenario with which it works aims to reach 10,000 hospitalizations for covid-19 and 2,800 beds occupied in intensive care (ICU) by mid-November. This last figure far exceeds the two thousand ICU beds that were mentioned as the maximum expected capacity. According to the federal Minister of Health, more than a dozen patients had to be transferred from Liège to Flanders this Friday and some to Germany.
Belgian covid-19 numbers break all records. The country has registered more than 1,600 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days, the highest rate in the European Union. And this taking into account that the saturation in the laboratories (more than 60 thousand tests are performed per day) led to the decision to test only symptomatic cases.
The prime minister speaks of 100,000 cases reported last week. In the last 24 hours, there have been more than 20,000 again. So far, the infection curve shows no signs of reversing, despite the fact that restaurants and bars have been closed throughout the country for two weeks (in Brussels, bars have been closed for three weeks) and since Monday there have been no shows or gyms open.
The curfew is also maintained, which in Brussels and Wallonia runs from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Schools are closed due to the fall holidays (All Saints Festival). A closure that was already expected to last until November 11. Now, the recommendation is that they remain closed until the 15th, to give more time to reduce the number of cases.
After the family and work environment, schools are identified by the authorities as one of the contagion areas. But the policy is that they reopen on the 16th. Kindergartens and elementary schools are expected to operate with 100% attendance. In secondary school, the scheme will be hybrid, with 50% distance education. In universities, the rule is for non-contact classes, with exceptions for the first years and practical classes.
Without exactly copying the recipe for the first feedlot, Belgium strongly tightens the restrictive measures, following the French and German example.
