Belgium could be facing a shift into a more strict lockdown situation if today's meeting of the consultative committee chooses to follow the recommendations of experts published today.
Three major recommendations have been made to the committee ahead of today's meeting by the group of experts overseeing crisis management in the country.
In a proposal seen by L'Echo the group have called for:
- Contact professions (such as hairdressers, beauty salons) not to be reopened,
- Masks should become mandatory in the workplace,
- Curfews should be standardized across the country, starting everywhere at 10:00 PM
Additionally, due to climbing figures in Belgium, experts recommend that an "escalation scenario" be developed if the situation deteriorates further in the coming days. They suggest a framework: extending the Christmas vacations and closing shops.
Related News
- Consultative Committee meeting today: what we already know
- Brussels does not test enough for Covid-19, expert warns
- Coronavirus: Belgium's reproduction rate rises to 1.0
The government's corona commissioner, Pedro Facon, has also suggested that testing should be repeated twice (once at the beginning of the quarantine and again after seven days), since Belgium is under-utilizing its capacity in this area. He calls for better monitoring of people in quarantine. Even if it means making hotels available to people who cannot be isolated at home.
Belgium's consultative committee will meet today at 2:00 PM. Despite plenty of speculation, from experts across the country, it still remains unclear what - if anything - will change after the meeting.
Jules Johnston
The Brussels Times
