Several people were arrested by police in the Belgian capital Brussels in an attempt to prevent staging of demonstrations against measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, police said on Sunday.

Police cleared a square in front of the main railway station, where some of the protesters were football fans from Belgian clubs.

A number of people had also began congregating at a landmark building in Brussels, the Atomium, as the response to calls on social media for protests against the measures grew.

Police in Brussels repeatedly urged the public not to gather and later went on to break up the protests, which ended peacefully.

"We remind you that there is no authorization to come and demonstrate this Sunday," the Brussels police said in a tweet.

"Those people who still intend to demonstrate in Brussels today will be approached, dissuaded from staying and if necessary detained."

Some of the measures by the government include a 9 p.m. curfew and a ban on nonessential travel in and out of the country from January 27 until March 1, mandatory wearing of a face mask everywhere and closure of all bars, cafés and restaurants.

Belgium, which has suffered one of the worst outbreaks in Europe, has registered one of the highest death rates in the world as more than 21,000 people in a country of about 11 million people have died and more than 700,000 confirmed cases have been reported.

(With input from agencies)