In a call for new relaxations, leader of the Francophone liberal MR party, Georges-Louis Bouchez, is pleading for Belgian restaurants to reopen by the start of spring.
After the reopening of the hairdressers last weekend, the priority is to let the other people in contact professions get back to work, according to Bouchez. "Then, we will wait two or three weeks to see what the impact of that is, and then we can focus on the restaurants," he told the Sudpresse newspapers on Monday.
"We are considering a reopening in the spring," he said. "And spring, it starts on 21 March," said Bouchez, adding that restaurants are likely to open sooner than bars.
Related News
- Why Wallonia wants to relax measures but Flanders doesn't
- Belgium's travel ban could be lifted before 1 April, says Di Rupo
According to Bouchez, a future reopening of the hospitality industry will be discussed at the next Consultative Committee on 26 February.
In an interview on Sunday, leader of the Flemish rightwing N-VA party, Bart De Wever, said that he had "never been convinced of the closure of the restaurants," adding that he believes that restaurants can work and reopen safely.
"I would like to open them again, by Easter at the latest," De Wever said. "Bars, however, are another story, I am afraid. I do not believe in that yet, unfortunately. We will have to outline that properly."
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
