On this day of Codeco, it’s time for flexibility. Indeed, the government has already agreed to a deal to move from code red to code orange. This means in particular that there will no longer be a closing time for bars and restaurants. However, not all the indicators correspond to the various criteria established when the barometer was set up a few weeks ago. Is the government going too fast?
“No, I do not think so”retorts Nathan Clumeck, professor emeritus of infectious diseases at the ULB. “We observe that the curve has begun to descend, as in many countries. It is symbolized by a reduction in hospitalizations and a stabilization, or even a reduction, of people admitted to intensive care. Everything is therefore heading towards a decline in the epidemic wave. In this context, it is normal that certain relaxations take place.”
Also on the table: the opening of nightclubs. For Carl de Moncharline, owner of bars, the various establishments are ready. They’re not even waiting for that. “The reopening will be done conscientiously. As we have always done since the start of the crisis”, he points out. To reopen, the sector has had to meet certain demands in recent months. “The latest concerned the self-tests. We had respected it. In principle, everyone was therefore not contaminating the others. But we still had to close a week later’regrets this figure of the party in Brussels.
“The CST was a big mistake”
During this interview, the CST was also discussed. For Carl de Moncharline, this tool has never been effective. “I have no problem denying myself if I made a mistake,” he begins. “If a DJ is bad, I take another. When everyone says, including the press, the medical world, our colleagues that there is a gas leak if I may say so, we react to resolve the problem. Maintaining this CST when its effectiveness was not proven was a serious error. Unlike the self-tests, which were more effective, it did not allow the virus to circulate.”
So what can be done to remedy the situation? “What we want are smart measures that prevent Belgians from ending up in intensive care. The CST is not one of these smart measures. This system has had direct consequences on the health of human beings.”
Nathan Clumeck wanted to put the arrival of the CST in context. “What was his goal?” he asks. “It was introduced at a time when it was thought that the vaccine protected once morest the disease, but also once morest transmission. With this parameter, it was quite logical to imagine such a system because we were going to find ourselves between people who have had the disease or been vaccinated or tested.”
Problem: Omicron and Delta proved that the vaccine did not protect once morest transmissions. The first cited above all demonstrated that this variant was less virulent for humans. “Inevitably, given that, despite the vaccine, the virus is easily transmitted, its usefulness is greatly reduced. The question is who do we want to protect? The young people who are going to see each other without CST anyway at parties or in bars? No, we absolutely have to protect the most vulnerable. In this context, the CST is no longer of any use. Wearing an FFP2 mask is an even safer way to protect yourself, for example.”
