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Belgium’s fourth coronavirus wave has started, says health minister

by editor

A fourth coronavirus wave has started in Belgium, Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke said Wednesday night in an interview with Belgian broadcaster VRT.

“The numbers are not good. We are clearly in a fourth wave. That in itself was to be expected, but we are going to see a very sharp increase in the numbers in the coming days,” he said. “Unfortunately, there will also be a steep increase in the number of hospital admissions. We are going to have to brace ourselves to tackle the fourth wave.”

Vandenbroucke called to widen the use of the so-called Covid Safe Ticket, Belgium’s coronavirus immunity pass, bring back face masks in public spaces and wants to make teleworking mandatory in all regions, with the flu season approaching.

He added that making vaccination compulsory for health care workers was still on the government agenda, with a bill that should be voted on “before Christmas.”

Vandenbroucke’s comments come while the number of new cases and hospital admissions in Belgium are soaring. Over the last seven days, the number of new cases increased by 53 percent, while hospital admissions also rose by 53 percent.

In some regions, vaccination rates are significantly lower than the rest of the country. Whereas 86 percent of Belgian adults have now been fully vaccinated, the figure stands at only 67 percent in Brussels.

On October 29, the Belgian government is again set to meet to assess whether to further ease coronavirus restrictions. It will also consider a relaxation of the test and entry policy for people coming from the U.K.

This article is part of POLITICO’s premium policy service: Pro Health Care. From drug pricing, EMA, vaccines, pharma and more, our specialized journalists keep you on top of the topics driving the health care policy agenda. Email [email protected] for a complimentary trial. 

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