Belgium faces decision on possible new lockdown by weekend: official

Belgium’s federal government should decide by this weekend whether a return to a nationwide lockdown is required, as the country grapples with a resurgence in novel coronavirus cases and hospitals risk running out of beds, an official said. New infections in Belgium, among the hardest-hit countries in Europe, hit a peak of more than 18,000 on Oct. 20, almost a 10-fold increase from the high of a spring wave of the pandemic. Health Ministry spokesman Yves Van Laethem told Belgian broadcaster RTBF on Monday evening that a decision on returning to lockdown would need to be taken by the end of the week.