Response to parliamentary questions on the National Security Council meeting held on 23 September 2020 and on Brexit
Check against delivery. National Security Council meeting held on 23 September 2020 Thank you, Mr Speaker. First of all, I’d like to express my amazement at how linguistic imperfections are the main concern for some people rather than the gravity of the situation. But it’s no big deal, or “c’est pas grave”, as the French expression goes. The whole of Europe is indeed facing a resurgence in the epidemic – and Belgium, where the situation…
Launch of the Risk Management Strategy: Accountability of Citizens
The National Security Council, expanded to include the Minister-Presidents, met to discuss the work carried out by Celeval, which was asked to develop a longer-term approach to health risk management. The six golden rules are key to this approach. As a reminder, they are: Compliance with hygiene measures; Preferably organize activities in open air; Protect vulnerable people; Keep your distance (1m50); Limit your close contacts; Follow the rules on gatherings. Regarding social contacts,…
Managing the health situation, start of the school year for all and outlook
The National Security Council extended to include the Minister-Presidents met on Thursday 20 August to take stock of the epidemiological situation and to determine the measures that should be extended and those that could be relaxed. In addition to managing our health situation, the measures in place in recent weeks were aimed at safeguarding the start of the new school year – in other words, getting the circulation of the virus sufficiently under control to allow all children to return…
Changing your social contacts for the next 4 weeks
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Additional measures to strengthen the double strategy to fight the Corona virus' resurgence
The National Security Council, extended to include the ministers-president, met today in view of the evolution of the epidemiological situation, which is permanently monitored. Based on the new health information, a new report was requested from Celeval last weekend. On the basis of this report, it was decided to strengthen the double strategy – national and local – introduced last week to tackle the resurgence of the virus. National approach To this end, it is decided that the…
Response to parliamentary questions on COVID-19 and on preparations for a second wave
Check against delivery Thank you, Mr Speaker. The improvement we’ve seen in the health situation in recent weeks isn’t a given, as shown by the reproduction number, which has risen above 1 again. One of the questions was about daily figures. I share your opinion entirely. I share your opinion, and we’ve asked [the Belgian federal public health institute] Sciensano to start providing us with daily figures again, to at least ensure that the experts have these at their disposal,…
National Security Council meeting of 15 July
Phase 5 of the phase-out plan is not yet activated. Some indicators are worrying and we are keeping an eye on things. We all need to be more vigilant. On 23 July, we will assess the situation again.
The Consultative Committee extends the requirement to wear a face mask
The Consultative Committee met today, Thursday 9 July, in the presence of the Group of Experts in charge of the Exit Strategy (GEES). The experts submitted a new report recommending an extension of the obligation to wear a face mask. This brings them in line with the advisory report of the Superior Health Council, which was issued this morning. On this basis, the Consultative Committee decided to extend the obligation to wear a face mask, following the new GEES recommendations. As a reminder,…
Response to parliamentary questions on the handling of the crisis and on the recovery
Check against delivery Handling of the coronavirus crisis Thank you, Mr Speaker. Of course, the summer-holiday period is a very popular time for people to travel abroad, and the lockdown we have experienced because of the public-health crisis has definitely made the desire for a change of scene even greater. However, as we know and as has been said many times, the virus has not gone anywhere. It is still out there. New infection clusters have emerged in several of Belgium’s…
Decision of the Consultative Committee on travel abroad
Today, Wednesday 8 July, the Consultative Committee met in the presence of the Group of Experts in charge of the Exit Strategy (GEES) to define the epidemiological strategy regarding people who return from so-called “high-risk” zones, as part of the fight against Covid-19 in Belgium. The National Security Council has already regulated non-essential travel abroad by strictly limiting the list of countries accessible for Belgians to European member states and/or countries in the…