Belgium faces a potential of 400 daily new coronavirus when school restarts, inter federal Covid-19 spokespeople Frédérique Jacobs and Steven Van Gucht warn on Monday during a press conference.
The latest figures from the Sciensano public health institute show that Belgium had a daily average of 493.3 new coronavirus cases between 14 and 20 August, a 15% drop compared to the week before. With the way the trends are heading, Belgium faces 400 new daily cases by September.
That’s “an important number,” the spokespeople said. A “particular attention to the golden rules” is needed in the coming weeks to get that number down.
“Let’s work together to fall below 100 new infections per day by 1 September,” Jacobs and Van Gucht said.
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The Group of Experts for an Exit Strategy (GEES) had previously decided that the risk for schools opening up five days a week as usual was limited.
The decision to have schools open five days a week again "also requires that schools, teachers and students undertake to strictly adhere to rules such as wearing a mask in class (while allowing it to be removed during breaks or sports activities),” the ministers of education said at the time.
Jason Spinks
The Brussels Times
