The Covid Safe Ticket (CST) is set to remain in force until at least 15 April in the Brussels-Capital Region and Wallonia – three months beyond its initial mid-January deadline.
On Wednesday, the Walloon Government adopted an updated draft decree to extend the use of the CST and the face mask obligation until 15 April 2022.
As with the initial decree, the Government requested the opinion of the Data Protection Authority (DPA) and the Council of State before the extension can officially take effect.
In the meantime, earlier reports by Le Soir stating that the Brussels Regional Government has drafted a similar ordinance were confirmed to The Brussels Times.
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Once the opinions by the relevant authorities have been received, a vote must still take place before the CST will officially be extended. This could take place just before the Christmas holidays or in early January, reports Le Soir.
Belgium's health pass
The CST proves that an individual has been fully vaccinated, recently tested negative or recovered from the virus in the past six months, and is needed to gain access to events, bars, restaurants and gyms.
The tool was imposed in mid-October in Brussels, before being extended to the whole country just a few weeks later.
In the meantime, the use of the CST has become very controversial across Belgium: several demonstrations have been held to protest the tool in recent weeks, and a Namur court recently ruled that its use was illegal in Wallonia. In Brussels, the CST will also be challenged in court at the end of this week.
However, the Walloon Region immediately appealed against the ruling and stated that the court’s decision "does not annul the Walloon decree. The CST remains applicable in Wallonia."
