The positive individual is reported to be an unvaccinated young adult woman, who developed mild symptoms 11 days after arriving from Egypt via Turkey.
The B.1.1.529 variant, which is causing concern because of its “extremely high” number of mutations, was first detected in South Africa. Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke confirmed it had now been found in the European country.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, addressed a news briefing in Brussels following the emergence of the new variant on the continent.
The official said that the commission is taking the news about the new highly mutated variant very seriously, adding that “the commission proposed to member states to activate the “emergency brake” on travel from countries in southern African and other countries affected, to limit the spread of the new variant,” recommending all EU countries follow suit.
Last week, Belgian authorities reimposed the extended use of the face masks and mandatory remote work.
Belgium has recorded an average of 14,030 new infections daily over the past 14 days, a surge of 66% on the previous two-week period.
Hospital admissions have meanwhile risen by 46% over the past two weeks and deaths by 45% with an average of 33 fatalities per day over the previous 14 days.
The country of 11.5 million has lost more than 26,790 lives since the beginning of the pandemic and recorded over 1.68 million confirmed infections.
About 88% of the country’s adult population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to figures from Sante Publique Belgique.
This new variant comes amid a severe COVID-19 infection wave in Europe.
France, Germany, and Italy have already imposed new travel restrictions with South Africa and neighboring countries.
As recently as this Thursday, Morocco suspended air travel to and from France due to the alarming increase in cases, while tightening air and seaport arrival security.
Morocco had already closed its borders with three other European countries on October 20, namely Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
Rabat cited its hopes to “preserve Morocco’s achievements in managing the COVID-19 pandemic and to face the deteriorating health situation in some neighboring European countries.”
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