Belgium is going into reinforced phase 2 to face the epidemic!

Belgium will move into reinforced phase 2 we learned this late Monday afternoon.

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The Concertation Committee met this Monday, March 9, under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, Sophie Wilmès. The objective of this meeting was to carry out a precise assessment of the situation in Belgium with regard to the Covid-19.

During this meeting, it was confirmed – in accordance with the analysis made by the Risk Management Group (RMG) – that Belgium remains in phase 2 of the risk management plan of the FPS Public Health. Containment measures still apply. To this, additional so-called social distancing measures prepared by the RMG will be discussed at the National Security Council on Tuesday, March 10, in the presence of the Minister-presidents.

The federal government has confirmed that a public contract has been awarded for the purchase of surgical masks and FFP2. A plan to distribute these masks between the different entities in the country is being developed by the RMG.

The Risk Management Group was also asked to coordinate the reinforced action and prevention plan for vulnerable people who represent groups at risk. With this in mind, the Concertation Committee has taken note of the recommendations made regarding the prioritization of tests and the development of the supply of laboratories capable of carrying out these examinations.

With the support of the federated entities, the Prime Minister, Sophie Wilmès – in consultation with her counterparts in the BENELUX – will plead for the maintenance of the free movement of medical products within the European Union. As such, she already had contact this afternoon with the German Chancellor, Mrs. Angela Merkel. A teleconference is scheduled this evening with the Prime Ministers of Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Finally, the Committee appointed two inter-federal spokespersons in charge of information and communication around Covid-19 in the person of Mr. Steven Van Gucht (NL), president of the Scientific Committee on Coronavirus, and Mr. Emmanuel André (FR), member of the reference laboratory for Coronavirus (KULeuven).

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