Until after the Christmas holidays at least three or four days a week.
Belgium is preparing to tighten the measures against the pandemic on Wednesday with the mandatory nature of teleworking until after the Christmas holidays at least three or four days a week, according to the local press reported on Tuesday.
The worsening of the situation led federal, regional and community health officials to advance by two days the date of the next meeting of the consultation committee, which was originally scheduled for next Friday.
Between November 6 and 12, an average of 9,998 new Sars-CoV-2 infections were detected per day, which represents an increase of 27% compared to the previous week, according to figures from the Sciensano Public Health Institute updated today .
To break the current upward trend, an expert report commissioned for that meeting and leaked to the press recommends compulsory teleworking, the use of masks from the age of nine – now it is from the age of twelve – and the closing of discos and student activities, among other measures.
According to the local media, two agreements of principle are outlined: the return of mandatory teleworking three or four days a week in the professions and sectors in which it is possible until the end of the Christmas holidays, as well as the mandatory vaccination of personnel health, as of January 1, and penalties in case of refusal that may go until losing the possibility of exercising as of April 1, although they may benefit from unemployment.
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In a joint statement, several business organizations today opposed the imposition of “generalized” telework as “unnecessary and even counterproductive for the moment”, and advocated maintaining the rules of social distancing, the use of masks and hand hygiene. at workplaces.
Another measure that is on the table is the generalization of the use of masks and that could especially affect the cultural sector.
Specifically, it is considered to continue requiring the covid vaccination certificate, having passed the disease or having a negative PCR, but this will not exempt from having to wear masks inside the premises.
In cases where it is not possible to respect this requirement, it will be mandatory to do a test at the entrance, for example, in discos, concerts or weddings, according to local media. (I)
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