If the pace of the coronavirus vaccination rollout in Flanders is higher than in French-speaking Belgium, specific relaxations could be made sooner in the region, according to Flemish Minister-President Jan Jambon.
Currently, almost 30% of over 18s in Flanders have received at least one dose, followed by Wallonia (28.8%), but the rollout in Brussels is significantly lower (22.5%), according to figures from the Sciensano health institute.
“It would be difficult to defend during the Consultative Committee to put breaks on safely relaxing measures in Flanders if it is vaccinating sufficiently, just because in French-speaking Belgium the vaccination rollout is not far enough along,” Jambon said during VRT’s "De zevende dag".
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He added that the vaccination preparedness in Brussels specifically is too low and that he hoped that both Wallonia and Brussels will make an effort to fight against skepticism, as “there is a lot of interaction between the regions, especially between Flanders and Brussels.”
The difference in vaccination levels is still relatively low at the moment, as just around one-quarter of the total population has received its first jab, but once the “vaccination campaign progresses, that will become an element on which we will have to make decisions," said Jambon.
Lauren Walker
The Brussels Times
