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“We will all have to brace ourselves very hard to contain the fourth corona wave.” That is what Minister of Health Frank Vandenbroucke told Canvas on Wednesday. ‘Making the vaccine for people in care is coming’.
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The corona figures are going in the wrong direction again. Minister Vandenbroucke (Vooruit) expects a sharp increase in the number of infections and hospital admissions in the coming days. That’s what he said in Terzake. ‘Although the fourth wave was expected, it is still fairly substantial. We’re going to be scared for the next few days.’
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However, according to Vandenbroucke, there is no reason to panic, but the figures should still be a wake-up call. “The system will not capsize if we use our common sense and be vigilant. In other words: we have to use everything we have in-house.’
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This is about more vaccinations – there are still municipalities where the vaccination rate is low, such as in the Flemish municipalities around Brussels – but also about wearing the mouth mask. ‘It is not because it is no longer generally required in Flanders that it cannot be a useful instrument’, according to the minister. ‘There are still 70,000 adults in Antwerp who have not been vaccinated. That is not good’.
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There are still 70,000 adults in Antwerp who have not been vaccinated.
Frank Vandenbroucke
Minister of Health
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Vandenbroucke calls on people who feel sick to stay at home. And telework should not be pushed aside too quickly. ‘Teleworking can do no harm in these circumstances’.
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He also came back to mayors who want to use the covid safe ticket more often in their municipality. That permission still depends on the federal government, but will shift to the regions at the beginning of November. Vandenbroucke calls on the Flemish government to be ready for mayors who wish to do so.
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Using the corona certificate in the workplace, as happens in Italy, may be a point of discussion for Vandenbroucke. Although he emphasizes that such a thing is legally impossible today. “Let’s stick to what’s legal.”
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Mandatory vaccination
Vandenbroucke was clear about the decision of the consultation committee in August to oblige healthcare staff to be vaccinated. ‘That obligation is coming. The legal text has been drafted in a first version and is then submitted to the government. I hope the law gets passed before Christmas, but I’m not sure it will work. However, I can’t imagine that next summer there will still be people working in care who have not been vaccinated.’
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The hospitals already advised Vandenbroucke to vaccine rejecters in healthcareto suspend and if necessary even fire, De Tijd reported on Wednesday. This was done on the advice of the National Labor Council.
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