Belgium announced on Friday August 20 a relaxation on September 1 of part of the restrictions intended to stem the Covid-19 pandemic, and said "to
explore
" the terms of a possible vaccination obligation for caregivers.
Read alsoCovid-19: vaccination coverage for caregivers in Belgium differs from one profession to another
A whole set of restrictions on restaurants, private parties and cultural events will be removed, announced in a press release the "
consultation committee
", which brings together the federal government and the federated entities.
The restrictions maintained in the Brussels region
Thus, the regulation of the hours of bar-restaurants, which currently have to close at 1 a.m., will disappear, as will the restrictions for events bringing together less than 200 spectators indoors and less than 400 outdoors.
The wearing of a mask in public spaces will be made more flexible and the use of the “
sanitary pass
” may be extended.
Many of these relaxations do not concern the Brussels region, however, where a large part of the current restrictions will be maintained due to vaccination coverage deemed insufficient.
Also read Covid-19: what do we know about the Colombian variant, responsible for seven deaths in an nursing home in Belgium?
In addition, this consultation committee, which met on Friday, “
asked to explore under what modalities compulsory vaccination could be implemented for all healthcare providers
”.
In particular, he called for the publication "
without delay
" of the vaccination rates of caregivers by care establishment.
The measure has already been adopted in France, where staff in hospitals, clinics and retirement homes have until September 15 to be vaccinated against Covid-19 - an obligation greeted with hostility by some of the professionals concerned.
