The various governments have prepared a roadmap that mayors can use when they are faced with a major outbreak within their borders. In the worst case, this could lead to the closure of an entire city, with the help of civil protection and the army if necessary.
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The corona virus is on the rise again. Especially through local outbreaks, including in the city of Antwerp, but also in many smaller municipalities.
Because nobody is asking for a lockdown all over the country if the figures continue to rise in the coming days, local measures are now being opted for. In this context, municipalities, governors, the Flemish and federal authorities have now prepared a roadmap of how to deal with such a local outbreak.
The ‘local Covid-19 outbreak’ scenario – which has yet to be approved by the National Security Council on Thursday – gives mayors the opportunity to take all kinds of measures to control an outbreak of virus within municipal boundaries.
In the most extreme case, this could be the complete closure of a neighborhood, village or city by the police, supported by civil protection and even the army. Curfews can also be imposed, gatherings can be banned, shops, sports infrastructure can be closed and weekly markets can be temporarily abolished. If necessary, the scenario even provides for the closure of parks and forests, which was not the case even at the peak of the corona peak around April and May. Mass testing will also take place among the population concerned, in order to gain a good understanding of the spread of the virus.
Government circles have stressed that the roadmap should prevent mayors on one side of the country from taking completely different measures in the event of an outbreak from their counterpart on the other.
The roadmap also shows that local authorities must discuss with the higher authorities which measures they will take and also motivate why they are needed.
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