Corona and Democracy - Belgium

Information on COVID-19 measures and democracy

• Gatherings of more than 2 people who do not live in the same household are banned. At least until 19 April. Non-compliance is punishable by a fine.
• "Non-essential" cross-border travel is banned.

   15 April:

• The lockdown has been extended until 3 May.

   19 April:

• Easing of the restrictions has been planned from 11 May (outdoors activities, opening business...),

   15 May:

• Proposal of reopening the borders on 15 June, still under discussion.

   18 May:

• The government further lifted restrictions

3 June:

• Restaurants and bars to reopen on June 8. Borders will also open on June 15.

4 June:

• Social-distancing rules have been eased

1 July:

• Phase 4 of the lifting of lockdown restrictions begins, increasing the size of the social "bubble" one may have, and allowing most businesses to reopen including the likes of cinemas

• Measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus to remain in force until at least 19 April
• Borders closed to non-essential travel
• New stricter measures to help curb the spread of COVID-19
• https://www.politico.eu/article/belgium-extends-lockdown-measures-until-may-3/
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52421723
• https://www.brusselstimes.com/all-news/belgium-all-news/111705/belgium-wants-to-open-its-borders-by-15-june/
• https://www.brusselstimes.com/all-news/belgium-all-news/112160/18-may-the-phase-2-cheat-sheet/
• https://www.politico.eu/article/restaurants-and-bars-to-reopen-in-belgium/
• https://www.politico.eu/article/coronavirus-belgium-lockdown-loosened-crisis-not-over-sophie-wilmes/
• https://www.belgium.be/en/node/13178

27 May:

• Belgium primary schools and nurseries to reopen on June 8th & 2nd respectively.

• https://www.politico.eu/article/all-nursery-and-primary-schools-in-belgium-to-reopen-in-june/

   4 May:

• Contact-tracing pilot project started. “Corona detectives” would trace the people who have been in contact with confirmed patients, call them and gather information on their movements. Data are collected in a private cloud and stored in a secure database on the computers of the National Research Institute Sciensano.

• https://www.brusselstimes.com/all-news/belgium-all-news/109784/exit-plan-how-contact-tracing-works/

• New, temporary, minority government can take measures concerning the health and social-economic aspects of the COVID-19 crisis without having to seek the approval of parliament for three months.

• Federal Parliament approves law giving government “power of attorney” to deal with the COVID-19 crisis
• New Belgian government gets backing from MPs
• What is a government with power of attorney? What happens now?

• Ministerial decision of 23 March