Belgium will reopen the border to travelers from April 19 and will allow rooftop events from May 8, when the curfew will be lifted, as agreed by the State Advisory Committee.
The opening of bars and restaurants, which were closed for six months, was the main topic of the meeting amid pressure from the tour industry, which demanded the removal of restrictions. After a seven-hour meeting, an agreement was reached that from May 8, these measures will be allowed, but only on the roofs of houses.
The night curfew will be lifted from this day, but instead the number of people who can gather from midnight to 5 am will be limited to groups of up to three people.
After the meeting, the Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander De Kroo reminded everyone at a press conference that caution should be exercised, as the plan of gradual “de-escalation” continues and is due to the fact that the virus is still “present” among the population, although he also stressed that vaccination campaign “has become a solid foundation for discovery.”
The government has also agreed to reopen borders and lift restrictions on non-essential travel, as required by the European Commission, which has expressed concern about the implications of Belgian laws for freedom of movement in the Schengen area.
In January last year, Belgium decided to close its borders to tourism in an attempt to curb the growing and disproportionate outbreak of coronavirus infections.
The Belgian government has also approved the opening of hairdressers, beauty salons and second-hand shops from April 26, when groups of up to 10 people will be allowed to gather for active recreation.
Domestic tourism in the country increased during the Easter holidays, when many Belgians decided to spend their free time on the coast. As for rent, most agencies have an increase in the number of orders by 15-20%. Campsites also reported high occupancy. However, some hotels on the coast remain closed, while others report “decent” occupancy, and others remain less than 50% full.