Cafes and bars will be closed for a month in the Belgian capital, Brussels, in hopes of curbing the spread of the new coronavir, the authorities said on Wednesday.
Restaurants serving customers at the tables will be able to continue working, but the bars must be closed until November 8, and the use of alcohol in public places is also prohibited during this period, the regional government said.
This is the second time that severe restrictions have been imposed in Brussels in the fight against the new coronavirus pandemic.
As the number of infected and serious illnesses increased, the Belgian central government had already ordered that the opening hours of bars and cafés be limited to 11 pm, but the regional government decided to go a step further.
The Brussels-Capital Region has a population of around 1.2 million. It is home to both the Belgian government and NATO and the European Union.
Last week, Belgium registered an average of 2,500 new infections a day, 57% more than in the previous seven days.
The number of hospitalized Covid-19 patients also increased by 25.7% during the week, and more than 11 Covid-19 patients die every day.
With 10,092 deaths per 11.2 million inhabitants, Belgium is one of the countries severely affected by the new coronavirus.
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