Ghent police shut down 87 gatherings this weekend, including a 3-year-old’s birthday party

Ghent police shut down 87 gatherings this weekend, including a 3-year-old’s birthday party
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Ghent police broke up four parties and fined 87 gatherings that violated coronavirus restrictions over this weekend, including a birthday party for a three-year-old child.

Also among the events was a religious gathering with 33 people in attendance. Police ended the illegal event, which violates restrictions on social gatherings during the pandemic, issuing €250 fines to everyone present and €750 to the organizer of the event.

“The parties that we are putting on hold during this period are less of a lockdown party than during the first wave,” Matto Langeraert, spokesman for the Ghent police, told HLN. “Then there was a lot more organization, with music and drinks.”

Details aren’t yet available as to the type of gathering it was or which religion was being practised.

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In two of the gatherings, there were eight people in one room. In another, five.

The number of violations is high compared to previous amounts over the past few weekends, but police aren’t sure why there's been an uptick.

“We continue to monitor just as much. It’s unclear why there are suddenly more fines this weekend,” Langeraert said.

There were also 14 people who violated the curfew, and two others who violated mask mandates. They also received the €250 fine.

Helen Lyons

The Brussels Times


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