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Friday March 13, 2020, the day when everything changed

Friday March 13, the Belgians gradually entered confinement

Friday 13 ! For the superstitious, this is an unmistakable sign. That day, we realized that the coronavirus was going to change our lives, in Belgium too. Two weeks later, the end of confinement is far from being a reality. Hospitals are seeing increasing numbers of sick people arriving every day. The economic impact also follows a dizzying curve. For traders, a marathon has started. Whether they are open or forced to close, it is with anguish that each new day begins.

Friday March 13: at midnight, cafes and restaurants must close. Only snacks and takeaway or deliveries are now allowed. The measure hit the sector hard, but aid was quickly put in place. Flanders draws first: € 4,000 per operator who sees his activity suddenly stopped. Wallonia and Brussels are slow to follow but adopt similar measures. Some recalcitrants are called to order, but the sector is terminated quickly. We regret, however, the lockdowns that multiplied on Friday the 13th, seeing people gather unconsciously for a last party before closing. An attitude whose repercussions are obviously still being felt: some revelers are now hospitalized in intensive care. If some restaurateurs expressed their anger in the first days, they all quickly understood that the measure was necessary, but not necessarily sufficient. They also denounce certain aberrations, too great latitude in relation to certain businesses or even the markets, which then remain provisionally open.

Wednesday, March 18: the government is moving into high gear and announces new, stricter measures. With the exception of grocery stores, bookstores, banks, the post office, gas stations and, of course, pharmacies, all businesses must close. Only vital sectors can remain active. No change for the Horeca, where take away, delivery and snacks remain open. Incomprehensibly, hairdressers are always authorized to practice, by appointment and by welcoming a maximum of one client at a time. In mass distribution, distance rules are imposed: maximum one customer per 10 square meters (some brands even recommend 1 customer per 15 square meters) and maximum 30 minutes at the point of sale for shopping.

Wednesday, March 25: the government accedes to the request of hairdressers, also now included in the list of businesses that must close. Another measure announced by the Prime Minister is the extension of opening hours for food businesses. They are now allowed to open their doors at 7 a.m. and close them at 10 p.m. An outcry with unions who already denounce hellish cadences and front-line staff at the edge. In supermarkets, it’s always the rush. Customers emptying the shelves of toilet paper, paper towels, handkerchiefs, disinfectant products, bread, meat, cold meats, flour: everything goes there. Difficult also to enforce the rules of distancing. To make provisions, some Belgians seem ready to do anything, including taking risks.

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