In Antwerp, provincial governor Cathy Berx gave text and explanation on Thursday about the approach to the corona crisis in recent months, and especially during the summer holidays when she took strict provincial measures to stop the rising number of infections. “We are dealing with the prevention paradox,” she says. “If the measures work and the figures quickly fall again, you will get the response ‘why was this necessary?’.”
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The number of hospital admissions remained very limited during the Antwerp coronavirus flare-up in July and August compared to the spring. “But we couldn’t know that at the time,” says Berx. The governor also stated that evaluation unit Celeval actually recommended even more far-reaching measures, such as the prohibition of non-essential movements to (the city of) Antwerp.
Berx and its services, in their own words, received “many violent reactions, even aggressive” when they announced measures such as a curfew, the early closure of the catering industry and a general mouth mask obligation. However, the number of infringements of the measures found was limited.
Berx promised to involve the provincial government, which may not have competence, in future provincial measures. First Deputy Luk Lemmens (N-VA) warned in advance that “even in an emergency situation we should not slip into a technocracy”. “I do not want to minimize the suffering of the sick and next of kin and the danger to risk groups,” he also said. “But we cannot afford to maintain the current fear of fear for long. I fear a wave of bankruptcies and layoffs. ”
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