BRUSSELS (AP) – Belgium bans all leisure travel abroad for its citizens from next week until March, in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 and its virulent variants.
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on Friday that “when people travel, the virus travels with them.”
He said visitors from the UK, South Africa and South America will have to quarantine for ten days to ensure they do not bring dangerous options to Belgium.
The move came a day after the 27 leaders of the European Union said the borders inside the bloc must remain open to ensure transport and the essential movement of workers, but left it to Member States to take other measures. they considered them necessary.
In Belgium, only essential business, family and humanitarian travel will be allowed from next week until March. In the last year, Belgium has seen an increase in the number of cases after public holidays due to returning travelers. February is the traditional month for Belgians to go skiing in the Alps or fly south for warmth.
The EU itself is also preparing measures that should make travel more difficult, including the introduction of new cross-border “closed red areas” where infection rates are particularly high and where all non-essential travel should be discouraged. Travelers in these areas may be required to pass tests prior to departure and be placed in solitary confinement upon arrival at another location.
One of the most affected countries in Europe, Belgium reported over 686,000 confirmed infections and 20,620 coronavirus-related deaths.
In recent weeks, Belgium has managed to contain the spread of the virus better than many other EU nations, and De Croo said he did not want to jeopardize it by allowing holiday travel throughout the critical month.
___
Follow the coverage of the coronavirus pandemic AP at:
https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine
https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak