The decision to which all Binchois are suspended is expected next week. Will the carnival take place? If so, under what conditions?
It’s been a month since the authorities postponed the big choice until mid-January. At that time, the fourth wave of coronavirus that had engulfed Belgium and its hospitals was starting to recede. And following particularly dark months of October and November, the epidemic figures were starting once more in the right direction. The Cité du Gille also recorded a good vaccination rate. “These two elements give us reasonable hope that the next Codeco will be able to remove certain health constraints”, then communicated the Binch authorities.
It was without counting on Omicron. For the past two years, this pandemic has often played bad tricks to shatter predictions, optimistic as well as pessimistic. Thus, the impromptu arrival of this new, much more contagious variant has changed the situation in Binche and dampened the hopes of a month ago. Omicron would still be less harmful than its predecessors, so that some are betting on an end to the crisis in some time. But these reassuring forecasts are far from certain. And by the big choice expected next week, the Binch authorities will not be able to deal with this eventuality.
On the other hand, it will be necessary to do with the extension of the covid safe ticket. The Walloon government has just approved its maintenance until April 15. One more element to take in the difficult carnival equation, between the figures of the epidemic, the interests of trades that live off folklore, safety rules or even traditions that are not easily jostled in Binche.
Some people talk regarding a Mardi Gras behind closed doors. Behind the scenes, we are told that all the scenarios are on the table and that we must think of everyone, especially the Monday Defense Association. We can imagine that the authorities will do everything to save the carnival following a historic cancellation last year. But for now, the situation in hospitals does not leave much room for maneuver. It remains to be seen whether the next Codeco, decisive for the Binche carnival, will relax the rules for outdoor gatherings. What remains for the moment hardly imaginable, while the explosion of contaminations and quarantines which go with making fear a paralysis of the country …