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German capital tells bars to shut at 11pm, while fellow role model Belgium also tightens rulesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBerlin’s nightlife is facing a closing time for the first time in 70 years as the party-loving German capital seeks to contain spiralling coronavirus infection rates.From Saturday, bars, restaurants and off-licences will have to close their doors between 11pm and 6am as...

Flemish Liberal Alexander De Croo sworn in as PM as country passes milestone of 10,000 Covid deathsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBelgium’s warring political parties have agreed to form a government nearly two years after the previous one collapsed, as the country passed the grim milestone of 10,000 deaths from coronavirus.The deal, only finalised in the early hours of Wednesday , ends...

Tighter measures are being imposed, but they vary across the continent Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage Continue reading...

Matt Hancock hails Belgian model amid rollout of new curbs in England – but data shows jump in new casesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBelgium has been cited by the UK health secretary, Matt Hancock, as a model for getting coronavirus under control – just as its public health body recorded a 15% rise in the number of daily infections compared with...

Parents and teachers fear face masks and other measures not enough to prevent second waveCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageTens of millions of pupils, most wearing face masks, have headed back to class in France, Belgium, Poland and Russia, as schools across Europe cautiously reopened amid spiralling numbers of new coronavirus cases in several countries.Parents and teachers around the continent have expressed...

Government says it will not cancel trains to seaside after dozens are involved in fightCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBelgium’s government has ruled out cancelling trains to the seaside after a weekend beach brawl prompted local mayors to call for limits on visitors to the coast.Local politicians across Belgium’s 40-mile (65km) strip of coastline called for action after police confronted dozens of...

Department for Transport officials said to be finalising announcement of the move Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBelgium is set to be added to England’s quarantine list after a rise in Covid-19 cases, meaning arrivals from the country will have to isolate for 14 days.The Guardian understands that officials at the Department for Transport (DfT) are finalising the announcement of the move...

Countries around the world battle to contain rises in numbers of new infectionsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageFrance’s health minister, Olivier Véran, has warned that the struggle with coronavirus virus will be long, and that a second national lockdown will be avoided only if people stick to physical distancing rules.His comments came as the US death toll from the virus approached 150,000...

Outbreaks in Spain, France and Belgium raise prospect of a return to lockdown Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageEurope is bracing for a second wave of coronavirus as continuing outbreaks raise the prospect of reimposed restrictions at a time when millions of people are travelling across the continent for their summer holidays.The Spanish region of Catalonia may have to reintroduce lockdown measures...

Arrivals from the east Midlands city will have to quarantine for two weeks Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe Belgian government has placed Leicester on its “red zone” list, requiring all new arrivals who have recently visited the city to go into quarantine for two weeks.The east Midlands city has joined a handful of others in Spain and Portugal – as well...

UK government also looking at scheme, but experts question whether it will workCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIt’s been called the four-person puzzle. If you could only have the same four family members or friends to dinner for a few weeks of coronavirus lockdown, who would you choose? That is the dilemma the Belgian government has handed its citizens as it moves...

Belgium appears hardest hit on paper, but not all countries count non-hospital fatalitiesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageEvery day, the statistics bring more grim headlines: “Italian death toll passes 20,000”, “Record UK daily death toll”, “Europe’s fatalities pass 100,000”. Across the world, people await national updates on the coronavirus – and compare their country with others.The comparison game has been especially marked...

Belgium is the latest country to go into lockdown, with citizens asked to stay at home and limit contact to their closest family. From noon on Wednesday, all non-essential shops and open-air markets closed and people were expected to work at homeCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage Continue reading...

Warring parties agree to let Sophie Wilmès’s minority government deal with impactCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAfter 15 months of stalemate over forming a government, Belgium’s warring political parties have agreed to hand special powers to fight coronavirus to a minority administration led by the current caretaker prime minister, Sophie Wilmès.Wilmès saw King Philippe on Monday, who officially nominated her to form...