On the rise for several weeks, Covid contaminations are starting to fall once more in Belgium. Hospitalizations, meanwhile, are stabilizing. Enough to hope that the hospital figures will also decrease in the coming days. According to interfederal spokesperson Yves Van Laethem, these signals are positive and might indicate that the peak of the “wave” has been reached in Belgium . However, despite this good news, the tone remains cautious. Indeed, the experts – like the politicians – have their eyes turned towards the months of September and October. “These months should be more complicated”, confided to us the epidemiologist Yves Coppieters (ULB) . With the start of the school year, the return to work and less clement temperatures, the conditions are in place for the virus to circulate more.
L’infectiologue Erika Vlieghe alert on a possible autumn wave for several weeks . On July 6, she even called on politicians to “be ready to take additional measures” in the months to come to stem a potential upsurge. Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke had then made it known that if the situation began to derail, the political world would intervene. While specifying that currently no new measure was in the air.
The return of restrictions? Yes, but not large measures
For the experts, it is clear in any case that sanitary measures will have to return for the start of the school year. “There will be a rebound, measures will have to be taken, but it will be quite manageable”, explained Yves Coppieters, indicating that there was no need to worry if we were still faced with the same variants. Same story on the side of virologist Marc Van Ranst (KULeuven). “I expect mouth masks to be needed once more, especially in public transport,” he told our colleagues from the Nieuwsblad. He also insists on the importance of ventilation in closed places attracting many people, such as concert halls.
The interfederal spokesperson also sees these two measures as acceptable solutions in the event of an autumn wave. However, he rules out the possibility of seeing a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) reintroduced or more restrictive health rules. According to Mr. Van Laethem, politicians would only come to such measures as a last resort.
