Belgium's Consultative Committee will meet a week early today, to analyse the rising coronavirus figures and re-evaluate the measures currently in place.
The Committee will meet digitally from 3:00 PM today, to "analyse the situation in detail based on the latest figures," the cabinet of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo confirmed to The Brussels Times.
The meeting will be followed by a press conference to announce the latest changes to the measures, according to his cabinet, but the timing has not yet been announced.
On Thursday, the experts advising the government asked them to activate the so-called 'Plan B,' which includes several restrictions such as an earlier and streamlined curfew, more distance learning for schools, and the closure of some non-essential shops.
Additionally, the relaxations that were already set out in the timeline presented at the previous Consultative Committee, could be put on hold.
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Based on that timeline, amusement parks are scheduled to reopen on 1 April, and amateur sports with up to 10 people and outdoor events with 50 attendees should be allowed again as well.
In the Chamber on Thursday, Federal Public Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke already stated that "we will have to pull out all the stops" to make sure that the planned relaxations can still take place.
He stressed that it is still the aim to allow all children to go back to school after the Easter holidays, and to allow the bars and restaurants to reopen from 1 May.
"We will now have to step it up a notch," Vandenbroucke added.
Update: This story has been updated following confirmation from De Croo's cabinet that the Consultative Committee meeting will be followed by a press conference.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
