A study carried out in the north of the country drew up a list of situations in which people were most frequently infected. Contrary to what one might think, it is in them that a good number of patients have fallen ill. Indeed, according to data collected by the Flemish Health Agency about sixty outbreaks of contamination, the place where the greatest number of people have been infected is the family home, followed by meetings within from the “bubble” and then through the workplace.
A finding that does not surprise Steven Van Gucht, interfederal spokesperson for Covid-19. “In the family context, we continue to have close contact with each other”, he confided to our colleagues from Het Nieuwsblad. A similar trend is observed in the Netherlands where almost half of the sick contracted the virus at home.
In cafes and restaurants, the situation seems to be well managed and the cases are few. “This can be explained in particular by the strict rules that have been adopted,” said the head of the infectious diseases department at Sciensano. Does this mean that we must consider more stringent measures within the home, such as wearing a mask? M. Van Gucht does not believe it. “The government will never force such a thing”, he concluded, stressing all the same that the principle was “defensible”.
Currently, in Belgium, it is possible to see five people per household (the famous bubble of five). This rule severely limits social contact but seems to be justified in view of the data collected by the Flemish Health Agency. The National Security Council has also decided to maintain this restriction until the end of September, as requested by a large number of experts. Other scientists, such as epidemiologist Yves Coppieters (ULB), for their part called for this bubble to burst, which they consider “absurd”.
–
