Hairdressers and other contact professions should be able to open again on 13 February, according to the conclusions of the consultative committee reported in Belgian media.
These would include beauty salons, non-medical pedicure stores, nail salons, massage parlours, hairdressers, barbers, and tattoo and piercing salons.
The professions will be able to reopen providing numbers remain "good enough" - something which will be reviewed at the next committee meeting on 5 February, HLN reports. Once they open, the professions will be required to operate under new strict rules, according to RTBF
The rules are:
- The contact details of the personal responsible for the Covid-19 measures in the establishment as well as the number of people authorised in the room have to be displayed outside.
- Clients have to wait outside, as waiting rooms will not be accessible.
- Everything will happen by appointment, and the customer's contact details will be taken. Between two appointments, 10 minutes should be allowed for cleaning and disinfection of the treatment room.
- People will have to go in alone.
- Staff will have to be tested every week, and should also have their temperature taken before each client.
- Establishments cannot offer food or magazines to customers.
- Staff will be required to wear an FFP2 mask.
- Clients will no longer be allowed to wear fabric masks.
- Doors and windows will have to remain open, even in bad weather, unless a CO2 meter is installed to continuously monitor the CO2 concentration in the room in real-time.
- Children under 13 may be accompanied by an adult, but have to wear a mask from the age of 6.
While confirmed to Belgian media, no official statement has been made, with the official press conference due this evening.
This news is in line with demands made by the sector, who had called for an adjustment of the threshold for when they could reopen.
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Jules Johnston & Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
