Visiting friends and family now allowed, with restrictions
The Security Council has announced that a limited number of people can visit each other at home and confirmed that all shops can open on Monday
Coronavirus measures adapted
That is the only major change to Phase 1A of the corona crisis exit strategy announced two weeks ago, which set out measures for the next several weeks. Everything else remains the same, meaning shops are still scheduled to open next Monday and schools to start on 18 May.
Regarding visits to friends and family, prime minister Sophie Wilmès suggests that visits take place out of doors if at all possible and that everyone continue to practice social distancing. People should be especially careful with regards to those more vulnerable to the virus, such as the older generations and people with compromised immune responses.
It is also not the intention that visitors to a household themselves receive different visitors. The idea is that the same households come together and that they remain in this same “social bubble” until the restrictions on group gatherings are relaxed further.
More detailed: A household of up to four people may come together with another household of four people. Couples can choose either a family of four or two families of two. But all of those families are then required to only visit those same families. Singles can create combinations, up to four people, again staying within the same social bubble.
“On Monday, we started with the phases that will relax the measures to control the spread of the coronavirus,” said Wilmès. “But make no mistake: Measures are still in place and will be for a long time, even if they begin to be relaxed.”
Sport matches cancelled until August
Basic measures, such as social distancing, working from home and limiting movements outside the home, remain. Adapting the measures is “a delicate and complex process,” said the prime minister, with public health being the biggest priority, while also taking “the psycho-social and economic consequences” into account.
As was previously announced, shops and shopping centres will re-open on 11 May. The government did add information: Shops should limit the number of customers to one for every 10 square metres, people should shop in their own cities, and they should shop alone – excluding children under the age of 18 and any dependents requiring assistance. It is also strongly recommended to wear a facemask while shopping.
Wilmès also reminded the public that facemasks are required on all public transport, as well as in metro and train stations and in airports.
The council also announced today that all professional and amateur sport events would be cancelled until at least the end of July.
The phases of the exit strategy, said the prime minister, are dependent on a continued decrease in the number of hospital admissions and intensive care beds taken by Covid-19 patients. There are currently 2,849 people hospitalised because of complications due to the coronavirus. Of these, 646 are in intensive care, the lowest number since 25 March.
THIS ARTICLE WAS UPDATED ON 10 MAY TO CLARIFY THE GOVERNMENT'S GUIDELINES ON VISITS
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