EU raises its guard against pandemic

The new measures were announced as the Belgian public health institute Sciensano on Saturday reported that an average of 215.6 people per day had tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week, a 63 percent rise from July 15 to July 21.The number of cases is rising nationwide and across age groups.

The recent death of a 3-year-old from COVID-19, the youngest victim in Belgium, shocked the nation. The girl had underlying health conditions.

Boudewijn Catry, a spokesman for Sciensano and also an antimicrobial resistance researcher, said at a news conference on Friday, "This touches all of us deeply, whether we are scientists or parents."

On Saturday, Wilmes tweeted that Belgium's National Security Council would meet on Monday to assess whether additional measures need to be taken, adding, "A strong local approach is also fundamental for the most-affected areas."

Unlike many other EU states, which have admitted travelers from more than a dozen countries outside the EU and Schengen blocs since early this month, Belgium still prohibits non-essential travel to and from outside EU and Schengen nations.

With a population of 11 million, about half that of Beijing's, Belgium had reported 65,106 cases and 9,817 deaths from COVID-19 by Saturday, according to the World Health Organization.

A study last month by the Economist Intelligence Unit ranked the country's response to the pandemic as among the worst of 21 members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.