Brussels, (Brussels Morning)- The federal government and the federal states will decide today on the remaining corona measures. The mouth mask requirement on public transport is likely to be overhauled. The extension of the Covid Safe Ticket will be a tougher nut to crack. The CST currently still exists, although it has not been used since March 7.
The legal basis for the Covid Safe Ticket will expire on June 30. With this limitation in time, the legislator wanted to prevent us from ending up in a permanent card company.
But the coronavirus has not yet disappeared and federal health minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit) wants to extend the legal basis for the CST. After all, the measure is related to the corona barometer. With code orange, the CST returns.
We are a long way from that at the moment, but Vandenbroucke believes that we should be prepared for a new wave. The last time the CST applied was on March 6.
The discussion about an extension of the CST still risks becoming a difficult one. Within the Brussels government, no consensus was found on Thursday during the Council of Ministers. This means that Prime Minister Rudi Vervoort (PS) and Deputy Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Green) have no mandate to argue for the extension of the CST at the consultation committee.
It’s no secret that especially the French-speaking Greens are on the brakes. They are not interested in a discussion about the reintroduction of the CST. They think it’s premature. Vaccination, testing and tracing should suffice as measures against a new wave, “and if CST still has to be introduced, we have the legal texts ready. There is no reason to reactivate this today, with low virus circulation,” it sounds.
Keep distance
Fewer discussions can be expected at the Consultation Committee about the mouth mask requirement. The Brussels government agrees that face masks on public transport should no longer be mandatory. In practice, fewer and fewer people are still wearing a mouth mask on public transport, BRUZZ has already established . The Vervoort government is in favour of recommending the mouth mask, especially if the distance rules are difficult to respect.
It is expected that the mouth mask obligation will be maintained in healthcare, especially in hospitals and rest homes. When visiting a doctor, this mouth mask obligation could be cancelled if the distance of 1.5 metres is respected.