Belgium's Consultative Committee will meet this afternoon to address the planned upcoming relaxations and look into a clear regulation for travel this summer.
The Committee will meet from 2:00 PM, and a press conference will be held afterwards, the cabinet of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo confirmed to The Brussels Times.
As De Croo said in the Chamber on Thursday, the main topic of the meeting will be regulations for travel. Currently, there is still a lot of uncertainty regarding the EU 'Digital Covid Certificate' and its Belgian modalities.
Questions such as under what conditions foreign tourists can enter Belgium, and whether they have to be fully vaccinated or if one shot suffices, will have to be answered.
Advice from the Interministerial Health Conference issued on Wednesday showed that most of the country’s different health ministers leaned towards only allowing fully vaccinated travellers into the country, and virologist Steven Van Gucht also stated that two shots would be the safest option.
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While the focus will be on travel, the official green light for implementing the first stage of the "summer plan" relaxations from 9 June still has to be given as well, something which De Croo stated will no be a problem, seeing as all conditions were met.
This means that fairgrounds, fitness centres, casinos, cinemas, theatres and bowling alleys will be allowed to reopen, people will be allowed to receive four close contacts at home, and the rules for teleworking will be eased.
However, while Corona Commissioner Pedro Facon said earlier this week that people should "not expect any new relaxations" on Friday, the Flemish government is insisting on introducing the same closing hour for the indoor and outdoor areas of the hospitality sector.
At the previous Consultative Committee, a 10:00 PM closing time for the indoor areas was agreed, while the terraces could remain open until 11:30 PM.
According to Flemish Minister-President Jan Jambon, setting the same closing hour is "only a matter of common sense," and other Flemish ministers as well the sector stressed that a general 11:30 PM closing time would be the most consistent rule.
The whole list of relaxations planned for 9 June, as well as those for the rest of the summer, can be found here.
