Belgian news outlet La Libre has reported that Belgium’s Consultative Committee has decided to reopen some non-essential shops in the country again from Tuesday, December 1st. The reopening would be allowed under strict conditions such as entering a shop alone, spending a maximum of 30 minutes in a store, and shops may only allow one customer per 10 square metres.
Museums and swimming pools can also open again, following their sector protocols. Contact professions, such as hairdressers and beauticians, will not yet be able to resume operation. Bars, restaurants and other businesses in the hospitality sector will also remain closed until at least 15 January.
For Christmas (24 and 25 December), people living alone can host both their close contacts at the same time. For everyone else, nothing changes. Households can invite one extra person.
The ban on gatherings and the curfew measures, from midnight to 5:00 AM in Flanders and from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM in Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region, remain in force.
Firework will not be allowed on New Year’s Eve.
Travelling to red zones remains strongly discouraged. Border controls will be organised, and the authorities will check if people respect the quarantine measures, and whether they have filled out the Passenger Locator Forms.
