Live blog – Advisory committee meets to discuss further relaxation, Brussels will keep the reins for a while

The Brussels-Capital Region will have to wait at least another month for the coronavirus measures to be relaxed. Prime Minister Rudi Vervoort (PS) said this on Friday, a few hours before the start of the advisory committee. The epidemiological situation in the capital does not make it possible to lift a series of restrictions that will disappear in Flanders and Wallonia.

“The epidemiological situation does not allow this. I will propose to stop relaxing in Brussels. We will keep the ministerial decree as it is with the measures we know,” Vervoort told Bel-RTL. The situation will be reassessed after one month.

However, there may be some relaxation in Brussels. For example, the disappearance of the social bubble, or the possibility of organizing events with more people using the Covid Safe Ticket. The regional prime minister also preferred to extend this system, as in other countries that introduced the health card. He added, “The issue deserves research.”

Vervoort argues in favor of stepping up checks. He also believes that there is still work to be done in the area of ​​”information and persuasion” among the population, in order to boost vaccination coverage. Vaccination coverage is particularly low among young people. According to Verfort, the vaccination campaign should be more decentralized, including house-to-house transmission. This is a chart from September.

“I admit that the numbers are not good, but to say that we failed would be an insult to the teams. Our centers have worked superbly. And to say that we did not provide information is incorrect. We have worked with congregations, associations, influencers … but when a community spreads messages of ignorance for reasons of belief or superstition. It’s hard to face.”