The governors of Antwerp and West Flanders, two provinces currently particularly affected by the coronavirus (especially the first, which accounted for nearly half of new Belgian cases on July 22), are invited to take part on Monday in the new National Council of security. Sunday evening, a kern was in progress to prepare this CNS. Behind the scenes, impatience is felt about the attitude of the mayor of Antwerp Bart De Wever, whose city is clearly an important nucleus of new contaminations.
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“I will listen to what are the new measures proposed and also present what my mayors want”, indicated Sunday evening Anne Martens, acting governor of West Flanders. “Several municipalities have asked to limit the ‘bubble’ (the maximum number of contacts allowed per person per week, Editor’s note) to 10 people”.
The governor is also awaiting instructions for management at the local level. “We would like to have objective instruments, which say which measures are justified in which situation”, she adds.
Cathy Berx, governor of Antwerp, does not deny being also “invited” on Monday.
In her province, the crisis unit she heads has already decided this weekend to establish for four weeks a fixed bubble of 10 contacts maximum, the contact details of which are advised to be noted.
The situation in Antwerp calls in any case, and creates a certain “impatience”, we hear Sunday in ministerial cabinets.
At the end of Thursday’s CNS, the focus was on the crucial role that local authorities should play. The municipalities were thus encouraged to take “additional precautionary measures in consultation with the Regions and the governors”, depending on the epidemiological situation specific to their territory. The possibility of the establishment of local containments was mentioned, to be decreed by the local authorities if necessary.
All eyes were logically on Antwerp, and on its mayor Bart De Wever. Sunday, the city decided not to impose the wearing of the mask everywhere, but the fact of having it on oneself to be able to put it where there is affluence.
In some ministerial cabinets, one has the impression that the mayor N-VA does not want to take responsibility, avoiding unpopular measures. “We don’t have the impression that Bart De Wever is taking the necessary measures, when he has the keys in hand. While we know that there is a small wave (of cases) in Antwerp, in specific neighborhoods and communities ”. There is a local problem, which should be solved by local measures, before it is too late, it is estimated.
It is with this in mind that the invitation to the two governors on Monday seems to take place.
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