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Belgium’s prime minister Alexander De Croo announced on Wednesday (24 March) that the country will go into four weeks of Easter lockdown, starting from Saturday (27 March).
“The [corona] consultation committee decided to choose for the short pain. We want to squash the third wave”, he said.
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Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo announced a new lockdown for four weeks – starting from Saturday (27 March) (Photo: premier.fed.be)
De Croo added new measures were necessary as “the British variant is now the dominant variant in Belgium, and the virus circulation is the highest in four months.”
Primary and secondary schools, as well as universities, will close until 19 April.
According to the prime minister “the highest number of infections can be found at the age group from 10-19 years old. They infect their parents, and often their grandparents.”
Following the example of the Netherlands, non-essential shops will remain open, but only by appointment.
In large shops, like for example Ikea, only 50 people will be allowed inside.
Hairdressers, beauty salons and massage salons will have to close their doors again.
Also the decision, earlier this month, to allow people to meet with 10 others outdoors is now reduced back to four people.
Non-essential travel outside the country remains forbidden, and there will be more border controls during the Easter holiday weeks. Non-essential travel within the country remains allowed.
The 10PM to 5AM curfew in Brussels remains, as is the 12PM until 5AM one in the rest of the country. Also teleworking remains mandatory.
De Croo also announced that all people over 65 should be vaccinated by the end of March, saying hospitalisation and mortality numbers showed that “vaccinating works.”
The PM concluded by saying that “it was a hard decision” and that he understands that “many people will be disappointed.
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