Van Ranst hints at a possible to almost inevitable new lockdown. “We don’t even know whether we will be in lockdown by the winter months, or whether we will be out already. It is certain that the epidemic will continue to crank up and if we do not succeed in reducing the epidemic within the next ten to twelve days with the current measures, there is only one option left: a lockdown. ”
The virologist made this statement in the context of a survey of The last news on planning holidays for the coming winter. Asked whether it is advisable to book a winter (sports) holiday for the Christmas period, Van Ranst says he would not do it.
“What I said for the summer holidays is equally valid now: whoever books, books more adventure than he or she had planned. You can safely go on a winter sports holiday, provided you slide down that mountain on your own and then sit down in your apartment. ”
Other experts confirm
Biostatistician Geert Molenberghs (KU Leuven) also says that the figures should not increase exponentially in order to avoid a lockdown. “We have to reduce our contacts by 20 percent. Otherwise we will have a peak that will be higher than in March and April. The peak will have flattened out more. ” Our country is currently in code orange. There is still a code red before our country could go to a lockdown, says Molenberghs. “If we don’t stick to the new government’s measures and the numbers don’t drop, a lockdown would be the only way to get people to limit their contacts. But that is really the very last option. ”
Infectiologist Erika Vlieghe also says that over the next twelve days we must do everything we can to lower the curve. “We expect the new measures to have an effect within twelve days. If nothing changes, then we have a problem. At that point, only very strict measures can help. And then we are indeed thinking of a kind of lockdown. We don’t want that, but then we think, for example, of closing sports clubs or associations. But that is the very last option, we all have to do our best to reduce our contacts. ”
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