Belgium in Brief: A Short Break From Changes

Belgium in Brief: A Short Break From Changes
Credit: Belga/The Brussels/Times

It has only been a weekend since the last Consultative Committee, and the next one is already around the corner.

On Friday 11 June, Belgium's authorities will meet again to flesh out the rules for the next stages of their "Summer Plan," which are set to apply from July.

But first, a number of much-awaited relaxations will go into force on Wednesday, after they finally got the official green light before the weekend.

This means that from the middle of this week, the indoor parts of bars and restaurants will open again, and the 11:30 PM closing time will apply to both outside and inside spaces.

On top of that, gyms, fairgrounds, casinos, cinemas, theatres and bowling alleys will also reopen, and people will be allowed to receive four visitors at home at the same time.

People wanting to go back into the office will be allowed to do so for one day a week, and the rules for events and receptions are also becoming less strict. For the full overview, click here.

However, while everyone will still be catching up on the long series of changes, it is likely that the rules for the coming months will change again from Friday.

What do you think about all these rule changes so close together? Is holding two Consultative Committees so close together a good idea?

Let @johnstonjules know. Or @maithechini, since she wrote it today.

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Belgium in Brief is a free daily roundup of the top stories to get you through your lunch break conversations. To receive it straight to your inbox every day, sign up below:

1. Belgium announces latest rules for international travel

Belgium gave the official go-ahead for the announced relaxations from 9 June and introduced the latest travel rules, announced Prime Minister Alexander De Croo during a press conference on Friday. Read more.

2. Cheat Sheet: What changes on 9 June?

“The fact that we can look forward with fewer worries is because we have all behaved safely in recent weeks, but also because of the vaccination campaign,” announced Prime Minister Alexander De Croo during a press conference on Friday. Read more.

3. Half of Belgians in favour of mandatory vaccination, survey shows

Around half of Belgians are in favour of making the Covid-19 vaccination mandatory, according to the results of a recent poll. Read more.

4. End of Belgium’s face mask obligation not yet in sight, says Vandenbroucke

While a number of relaxations are planned in Belgium for the coming weeks, the end of the obligation to wear a face mask is not yet in sight, according to Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke. Read more.

5. New rules for non-EU arrivals to Belgium

The latest update to Belgium’s coronavirus rules – more here – have provided some more information on how travel will look for non-residents looking to arrive in the country from a non-EU country from 1 July. Read more.

6. Poll: Flemish would prefer shorter summer school holiday

Nearly half of all Flemish people would prefer to see summer school holidays shortened while a week was added to autumn and/or spring holiday, according to an opinion poll. Read more.

7. King to take part in ceremony to return Lumumba ‘relics’ to Congo

Belgium’s King Philippe is to take part in a ceremony to welcome the return of the remaining ‘relics’ of the assassinated prime minister of the newly independent Congo, Patrice Emery Lumumba, according to a minister of the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Read more.


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