The ban on non-essential travel to and from Belgium has been extended until 18 April, which includes the Easter holidays, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced on Friday evening.
At the end of a meeting on the pandemic involving the heads of regional executives, Mr De Croo also presented an indicative timetable for easing the restrictions. The schedule foresees a gradual reopening of cafés, restaurants and theatres from May onwards.
Here are the decisions taken in Belgium and announced on Friday.
Horesca: reopening on 1 May
The consultative committee has decided to maintain the date for the reopening of the Horesca sector on 1 May after tough negotiations.
The Walloon and Flemish governments felt that the date of 1 May was too late and called for a relaxation, at least for the terraces. For their part, Alexander De Croo and Frank Vandenbroucke opposed reopening before that date.
Indoor contact bubble remains unchanged
The close contact bubble remains limited to one person only. As for outdoor gatherings, they will be extended to 10 people from 8 March onwards.
Further measures taken to relax restrictions
8 March
Outdoor gatherings allowed to 10 instead of 4,
Funeral at 50 attendees instead of 15, with a maximum of one person per 10m²,
Resumption of in-person classes on campus one day a week (from 15 March).
1 April
Resumption of outdoor sports with a limited number of participants,
Small cultural events with a limit,
Reopening of amusement parks,
Scout camps.
19 April
1 May
Reopening of the Horesca sector,
Indoor sports in small groups,
Indoor cultural events.
Last Friday, the consultative committee decided to take some time off to evaluate the situation. The country’s political leaders are faced with a complicated question: the number of hospitalisations is increasing but it is not exploding as feared last Friday.
They seek to find balanced responses to citizens’ expectations, between the needs of body and mind, health measures and measures related to mental health, as stressed by Deputy Prime Minister Ecolo, Georges Gilkinet, on his arrival at the meeting. The other ministers did not comment.
