Ministers set to impose quarantine restrictions on Belgium
The government is preparing to hit travellers from Belgium with mandatory quarantine restrictions after a spike in coronavirus cases in the country.
The Daily Mail reported that ministers would sign off on the decision to impose 14-day self-isolation measures on all those travelling from Belgium to the UK at a meeting this evening.
It added that the restrictions would either come into effect at midnight tonight or tomorrow.
However, the Guardian reported that the restrictions would not be put in place until the weekend.
If the decision is signed off, Belgium will be the third country to be taken off the list of countries exempt from quarantine restrictions, following Spain and Luxembourg.
The Department for Transport declined to comment on the report.
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (EDDC), over the last 14 days the number of cases per 100,000 in Belgium as risen to 49.6.
This is one of the highest rates in Europe, behind only Luxembourg (194.2), Romania (83.0) and Spain (78.0).
By contrast, the rate in the UK currently stands at 14.1 per 100,000.
In total, there have been over 71,000 confirmed infections in Belgium, with 9,852 people having died from the virus so far.
Due to the the size of Belgium’s population, that means that the country has one of the highest per capita death rates from the disease in the world.
The decision to implement the restrictions will cause havoc for the thousands of people who travel between London and Belgium on week on flights and on the Eurostar.
A spokesman for the rail link said that it would adapt its schedule according to demand if such measures are introduced.
Ministers have warned that people should expect more restrictions in the coming days as they fight to prevent a second wave of infections in the UK.
A series of local lockdowns have already been implemented, while officials are also reportedly considering putting in place restrictions on travellers from a host of new countries.
These include favoured destinations such as France and Germany, as well as other European countries such as Croatia and Romania.
The Department for Transport has said that the list of exempt countries will be kept under constant review.