On Friday, the Flemish Parliament approved the decree that allows the wider application of the Covid Safe Ticket (CST) or the corona pass in Flanders from 1 November. As a reminder: the corona pass shows whether someone has been vaccinated, can present a negative PCR test of a maximum of 48 hours old or has had the disease at the latest 180 days ago.
In Flanders, every customer or visitor from the age of 16 in the following sectors must present a corona pass (the staff is not covered by this obligation, but must wear a mouth mask).
In the horeca. There are a number of exceptions, for example for outdoor areas, such as terraces. The corona pass will also be lost for those who only enter for a short time. This includes a visit to the toilet, payment of the bill or ordering a takeaway meal. The obligation also does not apply to poverty organizations, food aid initiatives and walk-in centers for the homeless. If you do not have to present a corona pass, you must wear a mouth mask.
In fitness centers, but also in premises of sports centers that are mainly used for fitness activities. The obligation therefore does not apply to all (locations of) sports centers.
In discotheques The corona pass has been mandatory since 1 October.
In the following sectors, the CST is not mandatory, but organizers are allowed to request it from visitors older than twelve years and two months. For example, a twelve-year-old would have sufficient time to be vaccinated, because invitations are only sent from the moment a child has actually turned twelve.
In the health care sector, in particular in hospitals, residential care centers, rehabilitation hospitals and facilities for people with disabilities. These healthcare institutions are therefore not obliged to request the CST. If the institution does request this, there are some exceptions, such as for informal carers or palliative care providers. Rapid tests would also be available to sufficiently respect the right to visit.
What the event sectorAs far as concerns are concerned, the decree refines what was decided last Tuesday at the Consultation Committee. There it sounded in the official communication afterwards that the federal government is “instituting the use of the Covid Safe Ticket for events from 200 people inside and 400 people outside”. According to various spokespersons, this was an obligation, but the Flemish decree does not go that far and only creates the possibility to use the CST. If this does not happen, organizers of such events must adhere to the mouth mask obligation, distance rules and other regulations from the Covid Event Risk Model (CERM). Only from events of 3,000 participants indoors and 5,000 participants outdoors is a CST effectively mandatory.
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