BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Wearing a mandatory face mask on Wednesday in all public squares in Brussels, as the number of COVID-19 infections reached a government alert point that places the city among the highest hit in Europe.
The Belgian capital, home to the headquarters of the European Union and NATO, recorded an average of 50 inhabitants consistent with 100,000 inhabitants in the day last week.
Everyone in the city, which has a population of 1.2 million, will now have to wear a mask in parks, streets or other public places, as well as in personal spaces available to the public, the regional government said.
Until now, masks were mandatory in crowded public spaces and enclosed sites, such as grocery shopping malls.
The rules on mask disguise are one of the strictest recently implemented in European capitals and adheres to a resolution through the Government of Madrid in July. In Paris, the mask is mandatory outdoors only in crowded areas.
Belgium has been greatly affected by the pandemic, with nearly 10,000 coronavirus-related deaths to date, giving the country 11 million one of the capita-consistent COVID-19 mortality rates.
Infections have increased in recent weeks and the country now has one of the highest cases consistent with the inhabitant of any European country.
On Tuesday, the country recorded an average of more than 60 consistent instances of 100,000 inhabitants in the more than two weeks, compared to 7.5 in Italy, thirteen in Germany, 29 in France and 90 in Spain, according to figures collected through the European Union. public fitness agency. Organize the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
Last week, the British government announced that it would impose 40 other people arriving from Belgium.
Children under the age of 12, other people who play sports or physical paintings in public places are exempt from wearing a mask.
Reporting through Francesco Guarascio; edited through Philippa Fletcher
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