The Belgian government must act now in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, and take strong measures, according to Brussels Minister-President Rudi Vervoort.
Although he would not disclose exactly what would be discussed during Wednesday’s advanced Consultative Committee, he did tell Le Soir “non-essential businesses, non-medical contact professions... it is all on the table.”
“The status quo is not an option in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in Belgium. If we don't take quick and strong measures, we will find ourselves faced with congestion of the hospital system and more specifically of the ICU," he said.
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He emphasised that the objective remained to re-open the hospitality sector on 1 May, and that “strong, balanced and time-limited restrictions" were needed to do so.
Il faut établir des mesures NÉCESSAIRES et EFFICACES. Pas un bricolage. Il faut une pédagogie qui ramène de l’adhésion. Là est la clé. Nous avons donc plus besoin de véritables études scientifiques que d’interviews anxiogènes. On parle de la vie de millions de personnes #begov ??
— Georges-L BOUCHEZ (@GLBouchez) March 24, 2021
Leader of the Francophone liberal MR party, Georges-Louis Bouchez, also pleaded for "necessary and efficient measures" on Twitter.
"Come up with explanations that make people follow the rules. There lies the key. Real scientific studies instead of fear-mongering interviews. We are talking about the lives of millions of people," he wrote
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo decided to bring forward the Consultative Committee to discuss the current worsening situation and re-evaluate the current measures.
The last Consultative Committee was held just five days ago, on Friday last week, but resulted in a limited tightening of measures, mainly focusing on a postponement of the "outdoor plan” scheduled for April.
Lauren Walker
The Brussels Times
