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 1st will be a new beginning for all of us,” de Croo told a news conference.
Since then, cafes and restaurants can decide for themselves when to close. There is also no longer a limit to the number of people who can sit together at a table in the catering industry and they no longer have to move away from each other. Anyone walking around is still required to wear a mouth covering, and this applies to staff as well.
The maximum number of people Belgians are allowed to have at home will be canceled, there will be no advice to work from home and there will be no restrictions on events with fewer than 200 visitors indoors or 400 visitors outdoors. Masks in public places, such as on public transport and in stores, remain mandatory.
The intention is that more relaxation will come from October 1. Then the discos can be opened again and after that the dancing can also take place in the cafes. Big events then will have to deal with fewer restrictions than now.
Brussels not yet
Therefore, the federal government is canceling many of the measures, but regions can still decide for themselves whether to implement 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 this and the vaccination rate in certain parts of Brussels is also very low.
Discos in Brussels may not open their doors yet on October 1.
Care is obligatory to vaccinate
Belgium does not choose additional restrictions for people who have not been vaccinated. For example, these people do not have to test negative if they want to visit a cafe or restaurant.
However, there will be an obligation to vaccinate for everyone who works in healthcare. Public Health Minister Vandenbroek said patients had a right to the maximum protection. It is not yet known when all health care personnel should be vaccinated.
In Belgium, 68 percent of the population is fully vaccinated.