Belgium Reimposes Telework Mandates to Fight Covid-19 Surge
- Prime minister De Croo says vaccinations helped avert lockdown
- Government also expanding mask rules but spares nightlife
Pedestrians at Brussels Central railway station in Brussels, Belgium.
Photographer: Geert Vanden Wijngaert/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Belgium reinstated an obligation to work from home and extended mandatory mask-wearing to 10-year-olds as it tries to prevent a seasonal surge of the coronavirus pandemic from becoming a threat to its health-care system.
The most dramatic step is a requirement for employees to work from home four days a week into mid-December, despite opposition from some business groups. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo on Wednesday also said the government will mandate indoor mask-wearing even in venues where access is regulated by a Covid pass. Belgium’s government and regions resisted calls from experts to shut down its nightlife.