Tag: Belgium

Belgium will tighten coronavirus restrictions at the end of the week, limiting groups to a maximum of four persons in a bid to stem a sharp rise of COVID-19 infections.

New Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, who took office five days ago, told a news conference he was aware Belgians were tired of restrictions, but they had to stick to the rules to avoid a fresh lockdown.

Health Minister, Frank Vandenbroucke, said that from Friday Belgians should limit to three the number of persons outside their homes for whom they did not observe social distancing.

No more than four persons should be invited inside a home, be seated at a single bar table or gather outside.

Bars will all have to close at 11.00 p.m.

Belgians have been able to see up to five persons without social distancing and be in groups of up to 10 people at a table in a bar or restaurant.

“People are tired, we know, but we are going to again ask for an effort for our children, so they can keep going to school, for our businesses, so they can keep functioning and so that people don’t lose their jobs,’’ Vandenbroucke said.

COVID-19 has claimed 10,078 lives in the country of 11 million people, producing one of the highest per-capita fatality rates in the world.

The average daily number of new infections over a week passed 2,300 on Tuesday.

Hospital admissions are also rising, as are deaths from the virus in the country, the home of European Union institutions and the headquarters of military alliance NATO.

Belgium is finally getting a new government on Wednesday, 16 months on from a parliamentary election, with the Belgian king expected to name caretaker finance minister Alexander De Croo as the new prime minister.

Following weeks of talks, seven parties spanning the French-Dutch language divide have agreed to form a governing coalition to replace the caretaker administration of Sophie Wilmes, who led Belgium through six months of the COVID-19 crisis.

Belgium has one of the world’s highest COVID-19 fatalities per capita.

The death toll passed 10,000 on Wednesday.

De Croo was set to lead the new government, Belgian newspapers including daily Le Soir reported, citing anonymous sources.

Paul Magnette, leader of the French-speaking Socialists, said on Twitter that he was heading to the palace to form a government with other parties.

Belgium had been under a caretaker administration since the start of the COVID-19 crisis in March and without a fully fledged government since December 2018, when a four-party coalition collapsed.

A Police Officer was, on Monday, left in critical condition and a man died after a shooting in the Belgian city of Liege, according to news agency Belga.

According to local police, the officers involved were carrying out a check on the individual, who was alone in their vehicle, when the civilian shot in the direction of one of the officer’s heads.

The wounded officer’s colleague responded by shooting at the individual, who later died.

According to the city’s Mayor, Willy Demeyer, a Liege Police Officer is in critical condition following an intervention, emotions are running high in Liege.

“I pay tribute to the courage and devotion of those men and women who protect and serve the people of Liege,’’ he said.