Belgium lifts most COVID restrictions

BRUSSELS

The majority of COVID-related restrictions have been lifted in Belgium as of Monday, with the country abandoning vaccine pass and mask mandates in most parts of public life.

The federal government decided on Friday to lower the country's coronavirus barometer from code orange to yellow, relaxing most of the rules nearly two years after the country entered into lockdown.

As of Monday, people are not required any longer to show their COVID Safe Tickets to enter restaurants, cafes, gyms, and cultural events, while theaters and concert halls will no longer have to follow limited participants.

With the exception of hospitals and public transport, people are now able to enter public venues, such as shops, schools, or public administration offices, without masks.

Also, travelers can now arrive in the country without added paperwork of the so-called Passenger Locator Form, which has been scrapped.

The Belgian government decided on the first package of COVID-restrictions in the country on March 18, 2020, ordering a lockdown across the country.