The Belgian government has extended tough quarantines, including a ban on gathering guests, as well as a curfew, until January 15. At the same time, stores were allowed to resume work from December 1, subject to strict restrictions.
According to Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Cro, the country cannot “undermine all the efforts” that have been made, so the quarantine measures will remain in place until mid-January, and these efforts cannot be “overestimated earlier.”
“I would prefer that this Christmas we end this catastrophic year rather than start a new catastrophic year,” he said.
However, the government made one indulgence, allowing all stores to open in addition to the currently operating pharmacies and grocery stores.
Over the past two weeks, the highest death rate in the EU from coronavirus in terms of 100 thousand people were recorded in Belgium, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.