Initially scheduled for Friday and then postponed because of the deadly floods which hit Belgium, the Consultative Committee meeting takes place today at 2:00 PM.
As expected, the committee will discuss the current epidemiological situation, as well as the next stop of the relaxations in Belgium’s “summer plan,” which is planned to take effect on 1 August.
Discussions are expected to cover the measures necessary to supervise the major events planned for the second part of the summer, including festivals for which a coronavirus pass will be necessary, such as Pukkelpop.
The meeting should also confirm the measures expected for August and September relating to indoor and culture events, youth camps, trade fairs and markets, for which the maximum capacity could be revised as early as this month.
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"We’re not going to make the mistakes the Netherlands made, for example," Prime Minister Alexander De Croo stressed on Sunday.
"To obtain the coronavirus pass, you need to have been fully vaccinated for two weeks or take a high-quality PCR test. We’re also going to prevent people from using the coronavirus pass fraudulently," he added.
Not time to panic
The meeting will also consider the rise in those infected by the Delta variant, but according to de Croo, this should not lead to a tightening of health measures, instead, the focus will be on better compliance with existing rules.
"We must remain cautious, but also not to panic in the face of the increase in contamination. The vaccination campaign is working. We are not going to relax, but we are not going to give up our freedoms either," De Croo told VTM.
However, the expansion of the coronavirus pass for smaller events is reportedly going to be discussed, mainly to avoid new cancellations of events as cases continue to rise.
The compulsory vaccination of healthcare workers is also not on the table, unlike the path chosen by other European countries, De Croo added.
At present, 66.9% of all people living in Belgium have received the first injection, and 45.9% are fully vaccinated, according to figures released on Saturday by the Vaccination Task Force. For those over 18, these figures rise to 82% of vaccinated in the first dose and 57.3% for both doses.
The Brussels Times
