Brussels Minister-President Rudi Vervoort is in favour of introducing a "corona pass" in Belgium, which people can use to prove that they can safely go to the gym or a restaurant, like the one already used in Denmark.
Speaking on RTL-TVI on Sunday, Vervoort said he was open to this system to give people more freedom, but stressed that everyone should have had the chance to get vaccinated first.
"For those who have been vaccinated, something has to change. You cannot tell them to wait until the sceptics decide," he said. "Once the whole population has had a chance to be vaccinated, I think it is legitimate to set up such a system."
With this pass, people could prove that they can safely go to certain businesses, like the hairdresser, the gym, or a restaurant, according to Vervoort.
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However, the pass has to be introduced in conjunction with the EU Covid-19 certificate that the European Commission presented for safe travel this summer, he added.
In Denmark, people can use the "corona pass" system to show that they have either been fully vaccinated, have tested negative in the previous 72 hours, or have tested positive two to 12 weeks earlier, indicating immunity to the virus.
Last week, Belgian virologist Marc Van Ranst also stated that such a system could only be introduced once the entire population had had the chance to get vaccinated.
“I am not in favour of such a system until the whole population has had the opportunity to be vaccinated, or to change their decision (if it was negative first),” Van Ranst, who is a member of the GEMS expert group advising the government, told La Libre then.
“As soon as everyone has had the opportunity to change their mind, we can implement it,” he said.
However, whether or not the Danish pass or a similar system would be introduced in Belgium remains a political decision, according to Van Ranst, who stressed the importance of solidarity between those who are vaccinated and those who aren’t yet.
In early April, Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke asked for advice from the GEMS experts about possible relaxations for people who have already been vaccinated, prompting a number of politicians to immediately speak out against the possibility.
