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COVID-19: Belgium Quarantine Measures
The whole country of Belgium is under lockdown as declared by their new emergency government due to the COVID-19 crisis from starting on March 18 until April 5. Citizens are permitted to go out of their homes for important matters such as buying food or health-related issues or to assist someone in need.
Belgium has a 3-phase national risk containment plan, and they are currently rolling out an “enhanced Phase 2” to ensure that the virus will not be able to spread more within their country.
There are already 3,401 COVID-19 positive cases in the country as of March 22, with 75 reported deaths.
On March 12, the Belgian National Security Council declared the whole country under a state of emergency, taking the first far-reaching measures to fight against the spread of the coronavirus. The government is ready to deploy its army in case the need arises.
As of March 16, schools remained closed, except for a daycare service maintained for working parents with no other alternatives. Kindergartens, for their part, will remain open.
At 3:00 PM on March 20, the government started implementing control over mobility by regulating entrance and exit points, only allowing those that are essential. Public places such as restaurants, bars, cafes, and discos were mandated to close until April 3. Recreational and sporting activities were also canceled or postponed following the emergency measures.
Moreover, supermarket stores in Belgium have put up rules to ensure that there would be no hoarding of supplies and to give priority and protection to elderlies during these times to avoid further spread of the virus.