Belgium will extend the ban on all passenger transport with the United Kingdom for another 24 hours, the country's core cabinet decided on Monday.
Freight traffic will continue to be permitted, and Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden will publish the Ministerial Decree about the extension later on Monday, reports VRT.
The measure, which took effect at midnight on Monday, will remain in place until Tuesday night.
From Wednesday 23 December, only people whose main residence is in Belgium will still be allowed to enter the country. Extra checks will be carried out on people's Passenger Locator Forms (PLF) and whether they are adhering to the seven-day quarantine obligation.
For all other travellers, the current ban on passenger transport by air, train or boat will continue to apply until 31 December 2020.
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From 1 January 2020, people whose main residence is not in Belgium will also be allowed to enter, but only after presenting a negative Covid-19 test.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced that Belgium would close its borders to travellers coming from the UK on Monday for 24 hours as a “precautionary measure” to prevent the spread of a new variant of the coronavirus, which saw the UK return to strict lockdown measures for the holiday period.
In the meantime, Belgium is still consulting at EU level and with its neighbouring countries in order to find a coordinated approach.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
