By Philip Blenkinsop and Marine Strauss

BRUSSELS (Reuters). BRUSSELS -Belgium confirmed that Europe has the first known case of COVID-19, while simultaneously announcing measures to curb the rapid spread of a fourth wave coronavirus epidemic.

Frank Vandenbroucke (Health Minister) announced that there was a variant of B.1.1.529 in a person unvaccinated who presented with symptoms and tested positive Nov. 22.

“It’s a suspect variant. “We don’t know if this is a very hazardous variant,” he stated.

The new coronavirus variant, first detected in South Africa, has caused global alarm https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/japan-tighten-border-controls-s-africa-others-new-virus-variant-jiji-2021-11-26, with the EU and Britain among those tightening border controls as researchers seek to find out if the mutation is vaccine-resistant https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/what-we-know-about-covid-19-variant-detected-south-africa-2021-11-26.

The Belgian national laboratory has confirmed that the woman infected was an adult female who developed symptoms after she returned from her trip to Egypt via Turkey 11 days earlier. The symptoms were similar to flu but she did not have any signs and symptoms of serious disease.

However, none of the household members suffered from symptoms. They were still being tested.

This new variant was developed as a result of a rise in coronavirus infection rates in Europe and Belgium.

Alexander De Croo, the Belgian Prime Minister, announced that all nightclubs and bars would be closed by 11 pm on Saturday. Bars and restaurants will also have to close at this time for three weeks.

De Croo stated that the strain was increasing on the health system, and added, “If we didn’t have such high rates of vaccination today we would be living in a very dire situation.”

One week earlier, a previous set of restrictions regarding coronavirus included the enforcement of greater use of masks as well as more homework.

The new regulations prohibit private gatherings and parties, except for those that are intended to be used as weddings and funerals. Belgians will also have to shop on their own.

The health ministers in the country will be meeting on Saturday to discuss ways of speeding up vaccine boosters’ rollout.

Belgium has the European Union institution headquarters and NATO Headquarters. Belgium also boasts the sixth-highest per capita number of cases in Europe. This is behind Slovakia and Austria which have both re-entered lockdowns.

However, the fatality rate is still below the EU average with 75% of people vaccinated for COVID-19.