Leuven abolishes face mask obligation from Friday

Leuven abolishes face mask obligation from Friday
Credit: Laurie Dieffembacq/Belga

Wearing a face mask in the Leuven city centre will no longer be mandatory from Friday 25 June, the city council announced on Monday.

Until now, wearing a face mask was still necessary in the area around the train station, on the Bondgenotenlaan, the Diestsestraat and some surrounding streets.

"As we expected and hoped, the figures are evolving favourably," mayor Mohamed Ridouani said. "For the first time this year, we are under 20 infections per week, which means that the virus circulation is low."

"Additionally, in the course of the week, more than 70% of the adult population of Leuven will have been vaccinated at least once," he added. "As a result, we can abolish the face mask zone."

The general obligation to wear a face mask in public was already lifted in the Brussels-Capital Region in early June, and the same measure is being relaxed in Halle and Vilvoorde, both just outside of Brussels.

In Halle, the obligation will expire tomorrow/Tuesday, when people will no longer have to wear a mask in the shopping streets, on the Grote Markt and on the Stationsplein, unless it is busy. In Vilvoorde, same rules have been in force since Saturday 19 June.

As in all other Belgian towns and municipalities, however, the federal measures remain in force - meaning that masks still have to be worn in shops, on public transport and in stations, among other places.

An overview of where wearing a face mask is still mandatory in the Brussels-Capital Region can be found here.


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