Today, 3 December 2021, the Belgian Consultative Committee again considered the impact of the current COVID-19 wave on the country and decided to limit activities indoors, to start the Christmas holidays for nursery and primary schools early (on December 20), and to move to hybrid education in secondary schools. Ministers emphasised the need for everyone to limit their indoor contacts as much as possible.
The rate of infection is continuing to rise, as do hospitalizations and pressure on hospitals. Today, four in ten intensive care beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients, while 220 beds have had to be closed due to lack of medical staff. To reduce the infection rate and reduce the pressure on the healthcare sector as quickly as possible, the following decisions were taken:
1. Obligation to wear a mask from 6 years old
Where wearing a mask is already compulsory, it is now so for all people aged six ad above.
2. Limiting social contact
It is strongly recommended to keep your social contacts as low as possible and to meet outdoors preferably. The use of self-tests is recommended.
3. Children and education
The Christmas holidays for nursery and primary schools will start a week earlier, on Monday 20 December.
Secondary education will be organized in a hybrid form up to the exams. Students who do not have access to digital tools will be able to benefit from distance learning within the school.
In addition, from 6 December a series of measures intended to make the school environment safer will come into force:
- the obligation to use a CO2 measuring device in every classroom and room where many people gather;
- the implementation of a new protocol according to which a class will be closed as soon as two children are infected;
- the general obligation to wear a mask from 6 years old;
- a ban on all extracurricular activities; and
- parents are recommended to carry out self tests of their children regularly.
Part-time artistic education follows the same rules as those applicable to primary and secondary education.
Face-to-face education will be organized for the most vulnerable pupils - certainly in special education. The ministers of education will determine how his is accomplished.
The Vaccination task force will make rapid progress in the vaccination of children under 12, given the importance of vaccination in meeting the epidemiological challenge in education.
4. Private indoor gatherings
All private gatherings and activities inside are temporarily prohibited, including organized activities, but with the exception of sporting activities, groups at private homes or in low-capacity tourist accommodation, and weddings and funerals.
5. Indoor public events
From Saturday 4 December, events bringing together more than 4,000 people can no longer take place.
From Monday, 6 December, events, cultural and other representations, as well as indoor conferences are authorized under the following conditions:
- a maximum of 200 visitors;
- a seated audience only;
- mask wearing compulsory; and
- the use of the Covid Safe Ticket for events of 50 visitors or more.
Cinemas can accommodate a maximum of 200 people per room, subject to a distance of 1.5 m between each group.
6. Outdoor public events
Organizers are responsible for crowd management measures at outdoor events. The Committee called on local authorities to strictly monitor these measures. If these measures cannot be observed, the events must be cancelled.
7. Telework
The obligation to telework is maintained, with a maximum of one day in the workplace per week. “Team building” and other parties in the workplace are prohibited.
8. Horeca
Hospitality hours are limited from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
9. Indoor sports competitions
Indoor sports competitions should be organized without an audience. Underage participants may be accompanied by two adults.
The above measures come into force on Saturday, 4 December, 2021.
The Belgian Consultative Committee will reassess the epidemiological situation during the week of 20 December.
The committee also reminds everyone that commune mayors are, at all times, responsible for cancelling events that could present an epidemiological risk, after consultation with the competent health authorities.
