Belgium in lockdown again – new measures in force today

• Teleworking is mandatory, unless this is impossible due to the nature of the position or the continuity of the company.
  If teleworking is impossible, the employers shall take all measures to ensure compliance with the rules of social distancing, in particular maintaining a distance of 1.5 metres between each person. Companies in vital sectors shall take all measures to apply the rules of social distancing as best as possible.
  The employers shall provide the employees who are unable to telework with a certificate confirming the need for their presence at the workplace.
• The curfew has not been changed. In Flanders it runs from midnight to 5 o’clock. In Brussels and Wallonia the stricter curfew remains applicable, at least until 19 November: from 22 o’clock to 6 o’clock.
• Non-essential daytime travel shall not be prohibited or restricted. There will therefore be no perimeter to limit travel. However, it is requested to stay at home as much as possible.
• The borders shall not be closed like the lockdown in the springtime. However, travelling abroad is strictly discouraged.
• All non-essential shops shall close, home delivery and take-away/collection will remain possible.
• Non-medical contact professions such as hairdressers and beauty salons also have to temporarily suspend their activities. Pharmacies and physiotherapists are allowed to continue to work.
• Garages and bicycle shops are only allowed to carry out repairs.
• The hotel and catering industry was already closed and shall remain so for the time being. Hotels are allowed to remain open, but meals may no longer be served in the restaurant. Guests must eat in their rooms. The bars are also closed. Holiday parks and campsites must close as from 3 November 2020.
• Each family member is allowed 1 close contact (hugging contact). Families are only allowed to invite one close contact into their home at a time. It is not allowed to invite any other guests into the home. There is an exception for people who live alone, they can invite one other person in addition to their close contact, but not at the same time.
  It is still allowed to take a walk outside with maximum four people.
• In education the autumn holiday shall be extended to 15 November, after which the schools will reopen, but in the second and third grade of secondary education part-time distance learning will become mandatory.

The other measures that we have already communicated regarding prevention and hygiene in the workplace, collective transport, shared accommodation, obligation to quarantine and undergo tests, obligation to register on the construction site, passenger locator form, and having the A1 and Limosa documents on one’s person at all times shall of course remain applicable.