Brussels will start requiring coronavirus immunity passports in bars and restaurants from next month, the Brussels government announced Thursday.
The region plans to widen requirements for the so-called Covid Safe Ticket to hospitality from October 1, Brussels health minister Alain Maron told the Brussels parliament, according to press agency Belga. A press release from the government was more vague, saying it will start the preparations for the Covid Safe Ticket.
The ticket is a QR code that proves someone is either fully vaccinated or took a recent test for COVID-19 that proved negative. It is currently mostly being used for large events.
The announcement follows a deal between the various governments in Belgium on Tuesday, agreeing that regions could expand the use of the passport for situations they believe are necessary.
In Brussels, the vaccination rate is significantly lower than the rest of the country. Whereas 83 percent of Belgian adults have now been fully vaccinated, the figure stands at only 62.5 percent in Brussels.
The press release said the “exceptional” measure can only be imposed “for a limited period of time depending on the evolution of the health situation.”
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