Face mask returns to Belgian stores

In light of the recent rise in Covid cases, wearing a face mask in Belgian stores is compulsory again, starting this Friday. The Covid Safe Ticket has to be shown in bars, restaurants and gyms as of next Monday.

“Symbolic”

The Consultative Committee has decided to enforce face masks again in many indoor spaces from Friday, 29 October. This includes stores and shopping centres. The Covid Safe Ticket – proving vaccination or a recent negative test – will be mandatory in restaurants, pubs and gyms in the whole country – as it already was in Brussels and Wallonia.

The measures do not come as a surprise, given the sharp rise in Covid cases, and most retailers therefore understand the decision. The most important thing for them is that shops are allowed to remain open: trade federation Comeos calls the new measures “mostly symbolic” as they should warn everyone that they should remain careful in the ongoing pandemic.

Comeos, and other organisations of both employers and retail employees, do stress however that while they will need everyone’s cooperation. As it is the store staff’s duty to check the wearing of face masks, they fear that some customers will turn against them in frustration and anger. The unions in particular demand the general public to “please not vent frustrations towards the staff.”

Some supermarkets have reported a clear rise in the use of face masks in the last few days, even before the become compulsory again: Delhaize estimates roughly one in three customers chose to wear a mask in their stores, while in Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad both Aldi and Carrefour also reported a significant growth.