Celebrating Christmas and New Year's safely and in a small group is the best guarantee for relaxations of the rules in January, health officials said during a press conference on Wednesday.
"What we do between Christmas and the end of the year will be important to get to a safer zone, and stay there," virologist and interfederal Covid-19 spokesperson Steven Van Gucht said.
"Plan something small, pleasant and safe. That is the best guarantee for new relaxations in January," he added.
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"If the trends continue to evolve in the same way, we could reach 800 new confirmed infections and 75 new hospital admissions per day by Christmas," Van Gucht said, referring to the target figures announced following the Consultative Committee last Friday.
Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke said that these thresholds should be reached, and that both indicators have to show an improving trend before relaxations will be considered.
However, this favourable evolution is not yet an established fact, said Van Gucht. "It will be driven to a large extent by our joint efforts, which we will still have to maintain," he added.
According to Sciensano's latest figures on Wednesday, Belgium currently records an average of 2,304.7 new confirmed infections and 204 Covid-19 hospital admissions per day.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
