Belgium extends coronavirus restrictions until May 3
16 April, 2020
Belgium has extended measures to regulate the spread of the coronavirus to May 3, with hook easing of restrictions to permit diy stores and garden centers to open and limited visits to care homes.
Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes told a news conference on Wednesday her government and monetary and medical authorities would meet in a few days to arrange a gradual return towards normality from early May.
"The prospect of an improved future is within our reach," she said. "The strategy will be based on certain pillars - maintaining a safe distance, large-scale screening and in addition tracing ... and the development of new rules at the workplace."
Wearing masks would also be considered a key the main strategy. No large organized events will be held until at least early September and several people would still home based, Wilmes said.
For now, home improvement stores and garden centers could reopen, albeit with social distancing set up.
Residents of assisted living facilities with elderly or disabled persons could now identify an individual allowed to visit, so long as person had not displayed any symptoms in the last two weeks.
"It is not impossible some people will dsicover this as an easing of the essential rules. But there isn't the case. They remain as they are until May 3 and must absolutely be respected. We've not attained the stage of an exit," she said.
Neighboring France on Tuesday extended its lockdown measures until May 11.
Belgium's number of confirmed COVID-19 cases passed 33,000, with 4,440 deaths. Medical authorities told a daily news conference it appeared a peak have been reached early in April, with the quantity of men and women admitted to hospital steadily falling since.
"What we observe is that, after a sharp upsurge in the number of cases, we've a slow but real declining trend," clinical microbiologist Emmanuel Andre said.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com
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