Not only has Spain become an out parity from Europe and has been added to the red list of some neighbours. Belgium has just banned tourism in several regions of France, Spain and Switzerland, and its list of red zones is developing as the Covid epidemic worsens.
While much of Europe is experiencing a resurgence of coronaviruses, several countries are introducing new restrictions to and from parts of the continent. Even the closure of borders and the ban of allArray unless they are essential, in certain countries or regions within.
As Belgium experiences a massive spike in new cases at home, it’s also banning travel to certain European spots with a worsening corona crisis. On Saturday, the Foreign Ministry beefed up its red list, adding parts of Switzerland, France, Spain, Bulgaria and Romania.
That means all non-essential travel to those areas is out of the question. Anyone returning or arriving from red list areas, must be tested for Covid and quarantine says the government.
“Red zones are municipalities, districts, cities, regions or countries which have been put back into lockdown by the country in question or where Belgian tourists are at a very high risk of infection. For these zones, Belgium has a formal travel ban in place.
“People returning from these spaces will be treated as ‘high-risk contacts’, who must be tested and quarantined or self-insulated.”
The irony is, of course, that Belgian travellers also pose a threat to the rest of Europe with degrees of infection as they are now. This resolution comes at a time when Belgium registers on average more than 500 new Covid-19 infections consistent with the day – an increase of 60% in a week.
Belgium has also expanded its list of “orange zones”, places where it is suggested to train with greater caution. Last week, Northern Ireland, Wales and 4 regions of the north of England were on the orange list.
Belgium is also experiencing a strong accumulation of hospitalizations, with a total number of crown cases exceeding 70,000 – the sixth-worst epidemic to date in the EU. According to Deutsche Welle, the number of patients in intensive care has doubled by one month. Health officials warn that “other younger people are responsible for most new infections.”
The outcast Swiss trio are up in arms about the Belgium decision. Just like Spain is about it being removed from the U.K. quarantine-free travel list. And for similar reasons: they say the move unjustly damages tourism, while cases in Belgium are far worse. At least Belgium is honing in on region’s not whole countries. This has been the criticism levelled at Britain with its blanket ban on Spain.
The cantonal government has called it “incomprehensible” and the federal government to intervene. In the last 14 days, the cumulative infection rate in Vaud is 23 consistent with 100,000 inhabitants, 10 out of 100,000 in Valais. While in Belgium, this figure is 44 reports from Swiss Info. “The Vaud rate is almost part of Belgium’s.”
Switzerland’s criterion for deciding on a “risk zone” is an infection rate of 60 consistent with 100,000 inhabitants. This is based on a five-day trend, and well higher compared to the popular EU of around 20. This is the average used by the bloc in which countries it reopens its borders to tourism.
Could other regions of France soon be on the Belgian Red List? The new infections are successful at more than 1,000 per day, up from 250 per day in July.
France’s leading health experts warn that the virus is “circulating more actively again”, due partly to flouting of social distancing and mask use.
More French regions have already been added to Belgium’s orange list last week. Joining Greater Paris (excluding Seine and Marne) and the Countries of the Loire are the Department of the North, the Upper Rhine, the Haute-Savoie, Meurthe and Moselle and the Vosges. This means that covid quarantine and a check are not when you return from those areas.
There is still no motion from Switzerland or France to return to prohibit travel in Belgium. However, amid discussions about a imaginable wave of moment across Europe, this could be a sign of what’s to come. More countries may also decide to move up places, at least high-risk areas, to prohibited areas.
I have three decades of experience as a journalist, foreign correspondent and travel writer-photographer. Working for print, digital and radio outlets on four continents,
I have 3 decades of pleasure as a journalist, foreign correspondent and travel writer and photographer. Working for print, virtual and radio media on 4 continents, I am also an experienced hotel journalist and writer of travel guides and cultural histories in Australia, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Borneo. Deep on the road between my Parisian and Australian bases, I write for Forbes with a globetrotter attitude and a topicality in travel, culture, hospitality, art and architecture. My hobby is to capture the unique people, places and occasions I encounter along the way, whether in words and images. I have a bachelor’s degree in professional writing from the University of Canberra, a master’s degree in European journalism from Robert Schuman University in Strasbourg and a member of the Society of American Travel Writers. Love for my wild local island of Tasmania fuels my commitment to sustainable travel and conservation.