Belgium's National Security Council, which decided on the measures to contain the new coronavirus (Covid-19) as well as their extension until 19 April, will meet again next Wednesday.
The Council will bring together Belgium's Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès, the country regions' Minister-Presidents, the competent Ministers as well as experts on 15 April. The group will likely discuss the possible extension of the lockdown measures beyond 19 April, until 3 May, according to the Belga press agency.
Earlier this week, Erika Vlieghe, infectious disease expert and chair of Belgium’s Group of Experts for an Exit Strategy (GEES), said that she could not yet say "anything useful about the opening of schools" after the Easter Holidays, but that the group hoped "to give people some perspective as soon as possible.”
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Whether or not big summer events such as music festivals will take place, will be on the agenda, Flemish MP Jan Jambon told the Flemish Parliament's Culture Committee on Thursday. "I think a decision will be taken," he said, although it will probably only concern events until the end of July, and not until the very end of the summer holidays.
Earlier this week, Minister of the Interior Pieter De Crem already said that the big summer festivals would probably be cancelled, mentioning both Rock Werchter (2-5 July) and Tomorrowland (17-19 and 24-26 July) by name.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
