Belgium keeps its barometer. It is in the maximum alert phase (red), but this will not prevent relaxations from January 28, such as the increased capacity of performance halls and midnight permission for the catering industry. We do not forget the return of spectators to the stadiums…
Decisions of the day?
After the usual considerations relating to the data of the pandemic (it is known: now the contagion is galloping, hospitalizations are increasing a little, but things are better in intensive care), the Codeco notes that 52% of the Belgian population (6 million people) received the third dose of vaccine, believes that at this stage the “omicron peak has not been reached”, and notes that all this generates “a sharp increase in absences in schools, businesses, care, public services”.
The Codeco then takes a series of measures, including a little surprise. The Belgians’ CST will deactivate five months after their second dose, unless of course they do their recall. Only those over 18 are targeted. Those who intended to avoid the sting and opt for a recovery certificate also see its validity melt to a maximum of five months. Sick in January and never vaccinated or boosted, that will mean no CST this summer.
The other half-surprise is the adoption of the barometer until June 30, 2022. We can read that “Codeco approves the corona barometer as a tool for communication and structured and proactive preparation of policies”.
Concretely, we are, according to the politicians, in the red phase, the highest in terms of the severity of the measures. And yet, from the application of the barometer on January 28, we can speak of a certain “relaxation”. Activities currently closed such as bowling alleys, amusement parks, casinos or indoor playgrounds have been integrated into the “leisure” section of the barometer and can therefore reopen according to the rules that apply in the red phase. Always, according to the barometer adopted, the spectators will therefore return to the stadiums from next January 28.
Precisely, this red phase, what does it imply? The closure of the horeca is still relevant between midnight and 5 am. The option of being able to open until 1 hour was therefore not retained for the maximum alert level, but an hour was won on the wire…
Indoor activities where you move and sing, such as big concerts or discos, are still not possible.
On the other hand, good news for the culture. All rooms with less than 200 people can be opened (with CST+, of course). Beyond this capacity, they can be filled up to 70%. Rooms with good air quality (better than 900ppm) can be 100% full. The sector protocols and all rules derived therefrom will apply.
Finally, note that the current rules regarding teleworking and wearing a mask are maintained until further notice.
