The move to keep Belgium's terraces open until 11:30 PM as of June 9 will coincide with the next European Football Championship, according to Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.
Under the new rules - announced following the consultative committee meeting yesterday - bars and restaurants will be able to keep their terraces open until 11:30 PM and also serve customers inside until 10:00 PM, just in time for the European Championship, which will be held between June 11 and July 11, 2021, having been moved from the summer of 2020.
"We can hardly send everyone home at the end of the first half," De Croo told VTM Nieuws.
How exactly these rules will work remains to be decided, with more information expected in the coming days. Any changes, however, will be made far enough in advance to avoid misunderstandings, similar to what happened with the use of plexiglass last weekend.
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While the four people per table rule will stay in effect once indoors open, the plan is to relax this in July and August. The intention is to return to a world in which restrictions will be lifted as much as possible by September, according to De Croo.
"The Committee has been able to establish a broad summer plan to relax measures," De Croo announced during a press conference on Tuesday. "Four out of 10 adult Belgian residents have already received their first vaccine dose. And the campaign will also accelerate."
For a recap of the changes expected as part of Belgium's summer plan, click here.
The Brussels Times
