Corona update: Bubble of five remains but audience capacity doubles
New coronavirus measures allow two people to shop together and 200 people allowed to gather indoors, with social distancing
Don’t throw away those facemasks anytime soon
Shopping in supermarkets and other outlets may now be done in pairs. Previously people had to enter shops alone or in the presence of one minor. Now two people may shop together. The restriction of 30 minutes has also been scrapped.
This is good news for the retail sector, which has seen a poor summer sales results that it blamed on the strict corona measures. The summer sales period lasts until 31 August.
The measures for the culture sector have gone from bad to worse back to bad again
Audience numbers have been doubled from 100 to 200 for indoor events and venues, such as cinemas concert halls and expo centres. Open-air events may host up to 400 people instead of 200. These figures are dependent on the ability of the venue to allow social distancing.
This brings the number of people allowed at events back to what it was earlier this summer before the numbers were further restricted last month. 0A caveat to this ongoing restriction: Starting on 1 September, individual municipalities can allow greater numbers at both indoor and outdoor events, depending on measures taken by event organisers to control the spread of the virus.
The culture sector has expressed disappointment this afternoon, having hoped that – following meetings this week to clarify their position – events would be opened up to a greater number of people in general, without special permission needed on a case-by-case basis.
The situation for events has gone “from worse to bad,” quipped Michael De Cock (pictured), artistic director of The Royal Flemish Theatre KVS in Brussels. KVS is part of the Culture Crisis Cell, which met earlier this week with Flemish minister-president Jan Jambon and looked forward to an autumn season that would function more or less normally.
“Our request has, unfortunately, not been answered,” De Cock told Bruzz. “We asked for a single guidelines, but now we are told to request exceptions at the municipal level. This is strange because virologists have agreed that our sector can go about our work safely. But the measures for culture have gone from bad to worse back to bad again.”
Other updates to corona measures include an increase to 50 people allowed at funeral receptions and the lifting of the travel ban to red zones for people who are in a relationship with someone who lives in one of those zones.
Love wins
Previously, Belgian residents were only allowed to travel to red zones to visit a partner if they were legally married. Now unmarried couples can make use of the exception to the travel restriction, though the traveller must prove that it is a committed domestic partnership. Anyone returning from a red zone must still get a test for Covid-19 upon return to Belgium and quarantine until the test results are back.
All facemask requirements remain the same, as does the bubble of five. That means that every household can have personal close contacts with five other people. Socialising in a group of up to 10 is still allowed with social distancing.
All new coronavirus measures comes into force on Monday, 24 August. The Security Council will meet again towards the end of September.
Photos, from top: ©Kurt Desplenter/BELGA, ©Danny Willems/KVS
