Fears around the British variant continue to grow.
"We are not going to build a wall around Belgium, we can go to other countries but only for essential reasons", announced Prime Minister Alexander De Croo at the start of the evening.
The Flemish liberal leader was speaking at a press conference after a government meeting, bringing together the heads of regional executives, to take stock of the epidemic.
"The situation has stabilized in recent weeks," around 2,000 new infections per day, but "the danger has not disappeared," he said.
Alexander De Croo pointed out the variants of the virus "much more contagious" in circulation in Europe.
Hence the need to "build ramparts, lines of defense".
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As of Monday, travelers from the United Kingdom, South Africa and South America (three geographical areas where a different variant has appeared) will have to observe a quarantine of ten days upon arrival in Belgium, with two compulsory tests on the first and seventh days.
For other foreigners traveling on business, two negative tests will have to be produced, one carried out on departure in the country of origin, the other on arrival, the Prime Minister added.
Main measure for Belgians: from Wednesday, and until March 1, they will only be allowed to leave the borders for compelling reasons (exercise of co-parenting, medical treatment, justified professional reason).
"Leisure or pleasure travel, there will be border controls with fines" are prohibited, ex-Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, president of the Walloon region, told RTBF television channel.
Frontier workers are not, however, concerned.
Schools closed in the country
Belgium, which has 11.5 million inhabitants, has already recorded more than 20,000 deaths linked to the coronavirus since March 2020. If the country considers that it has better contained the second wave of autumn than its neighbors (Germany and the Netherlands). Bas in particular), the spread of the British variant raises fears of a third wave that could again weigh heavily on the healthcare system.
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VIDEO. Covid-19: the British variant would have "a higher degree of mortality", indicates Boris Johnson
This variant has already caused dozens of contaminations in retirement homes and forced the temporary closure of several schools.
By banning non-essential travel abroad (including within the Schengen free movement area), Belgium is taking the lead in relation to EU recommendations.
At the end of a summit of the leaders of the Twenty-Seven on Thursday evening, the European Union had called for avoiding pleasure travel in the face of a health situation deemed "very serious".
For almost three months, Belgium has been partially confined, with schools open but multiple sectors of activity closed (cafes, restaurants, theaters, sports, etc.).
Friday evening Alexander De Croo announced that hair salons could consider reopening, with strict safety rules, on February 13, if the health situation does not deteriorate.
