The wearing of face masks in public is compulsory in the Brussels region from Wednesday, regional authorities announced, as Belgium battles one of the most serious coronavirus outbreaks in Europe.

File photo: CFP

Face masks were already required in most closed public spaces since July 11 for people aged 12 and over. The measure was extended in the 19 municipalities of the Brussels region after the threshold of 50 daily cases per 100,000 people was crossed, the regional government said in a statement.