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world news Diasabra 23 Januari 2021

Belgium bans leisure travel for a month to combat pandemic

(AP) — Belgium is ban- March. Over the past year, De Croo said he did not want holiday travel throughout the
ning all leisure travel Belgium has seen a spike in to put this at risk by allowing critical next month.
abroad for its citizens cases after popular holidays
as of next week and un- because of returning travel-
til March, in an effort to ers. February is the tradition-
contain the spread of CO- al month for Belgians to go
VID-19 and its virulent skiing in the Alps or fly down
variants. south for warmth.

Prime Minister Alexander De The EU itself is also prepar-
Croo said Friday that “when ing measures that should
people travel, the virus travels make travel more difficult,
with them." including an introduction
of new trans-border “dark
He said visitors from Brit- red zones” where infections
ain, South Africa and South rates are particularly high and
America will have to quaran- where all non-essential travel
tine for ten days to make sure should be discouraged. Trav-
they don't bring dangerous elers from these areas could
variants into Belgium. be required to undergo tests
before their departure and be
The move came one day after placed in isolation upon ar-
the 27 European Union lead- rival in another location.
ers said that borders within
the bloc needed to remain One of the hardest-hit coun-
open to assure essential trans- tries in Europe, Belgium has
port and movement of work- reported more than 686,000
ers, but left it up to member confirmed infections and
states to take other measures 20,620 deaths linked to the
they deemed necessary. coronavirus.

In Belgium only essential Over the past weeks, Bel-
business, family and human- gium has been able to contain
itarian travel will still be al- the virus' spread better than
lowed from next week until many other EU nations and