Belgium will release a large part of the corona measures on September 1. According to Prime Minister De Croo, this is possible because many Belgians have now been vaccinated. “September 1 will be a new start for all of us,” De Croo said at a press conference.
From then on, cafes and restaurants can decide for themselves what time they close. There is also no longer a limit on the number of people who can sit together at a table in the catering industry and they no longer have to keep their distance from each other. Anyone walking around still has to wear a mouth cap, that also applies to the staff.
The maximum number of people that Belgians are allowed to receive at home will be abolished, there will no longer be any work-from-home advice and there will be no restrictions for events with less than 200 visitors indoors or 400 visitors outdoors. Face masks in public places, such as public transport and in shops, remain mandatory.
The intention is that more relaxation will come from 1 October. Then the discotheques can open again and then dancing can also take place in cafes. Large events will then have to deal with fewer restrictions than now.
Brussels not yet
The federal government is therefore canceling many measures, but the regions can still decide for themselves whether they enforce certain rules. For example, the Brussels region has already announced that there will be no relaxation for at least a month. The number of infections does not allow that and the vaccination rate in certain parts of Brussels is also too low.
It is possible that the discotheques in Brussels will not open yet on 1 October.
Vaccination obligation care
Belgium does not opt for additional restrictions for people who have not been vaccinated. For example, those people do not have to show a negative test if they want to visit a cafe or restaurant.
However, there will be a vaccination obligation for everyone who works in healthcare. Minister Vandenbroucke of Public Health says that patients have the right to maximum protection. It is not yet known when all healthcare employees must be vaccinated.
In Belgium, 68 percent of the population is fully vaccinated.
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