Belgium to return to normalcy from May 2021

Belgium’s prime minister has declared the country will reopen restaurants and bars for free set next month and lift a night-time curfew.

2024-07-07 15:35:23

Belgium to return to normalcy from May 2021

Belgium’s prime minister has declared the country will reopen restaurants and bars for free set next month and lift a night-time curfew. The decision appears as COVID-19 cases continue to decline. And other countries, including Switzerland and Denmark, also announced that the rest of the measures was incoming on Wednesday. Belgium PM Alexander De Croo stated at a news organization in Brussels following a seven-hour conference with regional leaders who struggled to find a bargain. "We saw that the number of diseases has reduced during the last weeks, we saw that the recurrence rate is under one, and we see that the hospitalization rate starts to level too," De Croo said. Also read: Only 30 people allowed to attend Prince Philip’s funeral Bars and restaurants were shut down in mid-October because of the pandemic, but their owner is lobbying to resume and protesting in recent weeks. Barring a new surge in cases, De Croo announced they would also allow reopening their terraces from May 8, but customers will not be served indoors. De Croo said ministers would launch, along with local authorities, "the possibility to start experimental tests and test plans, in order to find the best and the safest way to organize events". Also read: Trinidad and Tobago gets 40,000 doses of vaccine from India "One cannot be blind in front of the site that is facing health care services, but one cannot be deaf when people are asking for prospects," De Croo said. De Croo also said he hopes on May 8, two people from the same household will be able to socialize inside. The number of new coronavirus diseases has dropped 19% over the past seven days, and De Croo said a peak might have also been moved. But the situation in hospitals continues to be hazardous. Also read: Belgium will also raise a ban on non-essential flying away from next week, but the administration persists to advise on such trips. After a three-week shutdown that covered the Easter holidays, schools will also open next Monday again, but some classes will be organized remotely. Non-essential shop owners will be supported to welcome clients without appointments from April 26, when hair salons and tattoo shops can reopen.

Monika Walker

Monika Walker is a senior journalist specializing in regional and international politics, offering in-depth analysis on governance, diplomacy, and key global developments. With a degree in International Journalism, she is dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices through factual reporting. She also covers world news across every genre, providing readers with balanced and timely insights that connect the Caribbean to global conversations.