After four days of confinement, the Brussels parks were still well attended on this sunny Saturday. Yet evenit’s hard to stay locked up at home, You must at all costs avoid places where there are people. In Brussels, the police are now using drones to invite the groups to disperse. And dozens of minutes have been drawn up.
The spokesperson of the Federal Crisis Cell however recalled it once again during press point of this morning: “Stay home! To take the air is only in your immediate environment. It is not allowed to make trips to go for a walk“. This Saturday morning, a drone flew over the Parc du Cinquantenaire, broadcasting a prevention message:”We remind you that reinforced measures are applied to prevent the spread of Coronavirus“.
Despite this insistent communication, the Cinquantenaire Park was very crowded on this sunny morning: sportsmen on the move, families, friends, some of whom did not always respect safety measures.
In addition to ensuring the dissemination of prevention messages, drones deployed by the federal police also provide surveillance. “I think it’s a plus because we don’t have to get close to people, explains Denis Van Den Bril, drone pilot with the federal police. In addition, the drone can still travel a great distance, so we have a global view of the surroundings since the park here is quite large. It makes it easier for us to identify groups of people“.
In the park, this technology used for surveillance does not go unnoticed. “It’s quite surprising, we’re obviously not used to it, comments a passerby. To be honest, it feels like you’re in a science fiction movie“.
Heavy fines
In addition to these drones, the police have set up Covid patrols: vehicles fitted with loudspeakers which circulate regularly in the parks and multiply the prevention messages.
But despite these reminders, some people really go beyond the limits. “We have an athletics track and a mini football field around which we put Heras barriers, but there are still people who climb to play football anyway, deplores Bruno Vandeput, inspector at the Brussels-Capital police. We catch them, we tell them to leave the area. If they do this once, we give a warning. The second time, we can give an administrative sanction which can go up to 350 €. If afterwards, we still notice infringements, we make a PV for the prosecution and there the fines go up to 4000 €“.
►►► To read also : Coronavirus: fines, prison, that risk-your in Belgium and elsewhere in case non-compliance with measures ?
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As a reminder, if you go out to get some fresh air, you have to stay on the move, either as a family or as a couple. So there is no question of having a picnic in the sun. In total, the Brussels-Ixelles police have already drawn up 104 reports, including against minors who were fined 175 euros. We can never repeat it enough: respect the rules of social distancing!
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