Joint communication from the Minister-President, the Minister of Health of the Common Community Commission and the Senior Official

Dear Sir or Madam, Mayors,

In response to there being several people infected with coronavirus on Belgian territory, the Regional Security Council met this morning and was brought up to date on the situation regarding CORONAVIRUS (Covid 19).

Our country is currently in phase 2 on a scale of 3 of the FPS Public Health’s risk management plan.

At this stage and based on the recommendations of the health professionals, only people from the areas affected by CORONAVIRUS who show symptoms or people who have been in contact with a confirmed case may be treated by the medical services.

The management of confirmed cases consists of curbing the spread of the virus as quickly as possible through the intervention of specialised medical services. Infected patients are isolated and cared for in a specially secured area and/or at home, in consultation with the general practitioner and the health inspector.

All persons with whom they have had close contact (family, colleagues, other travellers) are put on a list, contacted and placed under observation. They are to remain at home or placed in isolation until it is certain they are not infected.

Any other measure in the current situation is thus not justified on the basis of official information validated by the FPS Public Health. With regard to school trips, it is recommended that a case-by-case assessment be made based on the evolution of the situation at the place of residence by consulting the “Sciensano” website (https://epidemio.wiv-isp.be/ID/Pages/default.aspx) and the specific tab “case definition and risk areas”.
According to the information communicated in the Regional Security Council this morning, FPS Public Health is still responsible for the coordination of the Belgian approach and communicating on the situation of coronavirus in our country.

As agreed in the Regional Security Council this morning, all measures taken at the local level will be taken in consultation with all competent authorities in the administrative area of the Brussels-Capital Region and in perfect cooperation with the federal level to ensure the coherence of our decisions. To this end, the mayors are asked:

• to identify and report occurrences and the number of persons involved in these occurrences (via the emergency response planners at the local level and the police districts) to the Senior Official;
• to revise the Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) in the area;
• to organise prior consultation before measures are taken, depending on the evolution of the situation, so that action is taken at the local/regional level in close cooperation with the federal government.
  It was also decided to organise a Regional Security Council as often as necessary.
  
  Finally, please note that the information channels of the FPS Public Health remain unchanged:
• The reference website: https://www.info-coronavirus.be/en/,
• Social media: Twitter: @be_gezondheid (in Dutch) / @santebelgique (in French) / Facebook of the FPS Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment: in Dutch/in French
• the contact centre: 0800/14689
• Website for health professionals (in Dutch and French): https://epidemio.wiv-isp.be/ID/Pages/2019-nCoV.aspx

 

Thank you for your cooperation.

The Senior Official

The Minister of Health of the Common Community Commission

The Minister-President
 

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