Thread by @Jean__Fisch

Covid in 🇧🇪: It looks likely that the figures will still be high once we reach the end of the "circuit breaker"

What then? A few thoughts ⬇️⬇️⬇️

In principle, 🇧🇪 has three levers
/ Reinforce measures
/ Delay easing
/ Reinforce protocols for reopening

1/N

Reinforcing measures in any significant way will not be an option

Even if figures may still be high, but they will be improving

Nobody would understand a tightening of rules

2/N

Delaying the easing-up is unlikely to be an option for key elements such as schools, outdoor activities, shops, non-medical care ... and probably horeca

Of course, there could be some phasing (e.g. horeca outdoor first, not all school years, etc.) but not an outright delay

3/N

All these activities will lead to more mingling up between people while not enough of us will have been vaccinated

Also outdoor activities are not excluded from this: It creates more movement in shared spaces, e.g. transport to get there

4/N

This will invariably lead #BeGov to up the protocols, as is the case in other countries already
/ Multiple weekly testing at schools
/ Rapid testing before entering non-medical care and horeca (as is the case in Saarland and Austria)
/ FPP2 masks in public spaces

5/N

Side comment: I never understood why wearing a mask if you are not alone in a car is not a tool

It would create some nuisance (I would hate it) but it would be a measure which
- could be controlled easily
- while derisking outdoor activities

6/N

Whichever way, expect a spring of testing and masks

However, given the pressure to reopen the above businesses, I am less confident about private meetings and hence curfews though ...

Comments welcome!

N/N