Consultative Committee decides to press pause button

The Consultative Committee has established a new, high seven-day average of 221 hospital admissions and that the number of infections is doubling every two weeks.

The positivity rate has also risen in the past week, with the strongest increase among teenagers (ages 10-19) and 40-64 year olds.

The majority of infections and clusters are found in educational settings and workplaces.

On the basis of these findings, the Consultative Committee has decided to implement a ‘pause’ with stricter measures to ensure that the upward trend in the number of infections and hospital admissions is reversed.

Outdoor gatherings with a maximum of 4 people

Groups of up to a maximum of 4 people (not including children up to the age of 12) can meet outside. Large families (more than 4 people) are, of course, allowed to travel with more people.

Non-essential shops by appointment

Non-essential shops may only receive customers by appointment. The maximum number of customers allowed inside simultaneously depends on the size of the shop and is capped at a maximum of 50 people irrespective of size. Two people from the same family may enter the shop together.

Home deliveries and click-and-collect remain possible provided that there is no physical contact and the shop is not entered.

Essential shops (e.g. food shops and pharmacies as well as shops for hygiene products, clothing fabrics, flowers and plants, telecom stores, newsagents and bookshops) may continue to receive customers without an appointment.

Closure of non-medical close-contact professions

Non-medical close-contact professions must close. This includes:

• beauty salons;
• non-medical pedicure salons;
• nail salons;
• massage parlours;
• hairdressers and barbershops;
• tattoo parlours and piercing salons.

Youth and education

Full-time face-to-face education (primary and secondary schools, part-time arts education, higher education and continuing education) will be suspended from 29 March to 2 April. Pre-schools will remain open.  Exams may still be organised in the week before the Easter holidays.

Between 29 March and 2 April, childcare will be provided for those people who are unable to work from home and for people who are unable to find childcare. If possible, pupils in secondary schools will return to school full-time after the Easter break on Monday 19 April.

Youth camps and extra-curricular activities for schoolchildren remain possible, with groups limited to a maximum of 10 people without an overnight stay.

Stricter monitoring of teleworking

There will be increased and stricter controls on mandatory teleworking.

Employers must keep a record of who will be present in the workplace and when. Public administrations must also comply with the teleworking obligations.

Non-essential travel remains prohibited

Non-essential travel remains prohibited during the Easter holidays. Controls at the borders will be tightened.

Demonstrations

The number of participants for static events on public roads is limited to 50.

Importance of the basic rules

The Consultative Committee reiterates the importance of:

• compliance with the sanitary measures in force by the population,
• the strict enforcement of these measures by police and inspection services,
• compulsory teleworking and its strict enforcement by the inspection services,
• the measures taken by local authorities to avoid overcrowding in busy places.

The Consultative Committee, the Coronavirus Commission and the Risk Assessment Group continue to monitor the situation closely on a day-to-day basis and will meet immediately if the situation so requires.

The Ministerial Order is applicable until 25 April.