Hundreds of students at the College of Europe in Bruges have gone into quarantine after dozens of their peers tested positive for the new coronavirus.
The EU affairs school last week recorded 22 positive coronavirus cases among students over the course of last week, according to reports by Bruges officials.
The school has therefore sent all 350 of its students into self-isolation in order to curb the emergence of coronavirus clusters, De Standaard reports.
Students are only allowed to leave their room in student housing for grocery shopping, and the local police in Bruges have been enlisted to enforce the quarantine, according to the paper.
Students of the college who violate their coronavirus quarantine can risk a fine of up to €250, with the mayor of the city warning of a zero tolerance policy towards offenders.
Bruges Mayor Dirk De fauw said that respect for the quarantine measure was in the interest of the students' "own wellbeing as well as that of all of Bruges residents."
It is the second time that the college has hit the headlines during the coronavirus crisis, after its students in June were put on the spotlight over violation of coronavirus safety measures during end-of-year celebrations.
The college in the heart of the quaint Belgian city offers postgraduate studies and training in EU affairs and its alumni often go on to fill the ranks of top EU offices and agencies.
The Brussels Times
