Nearly five months after Belgium noted its first corona case – on 2 February 2020 – things are looking up again. Recent numbers show a general downward trend. Step by step, economic, social, and cultural life is getting back on track. So, there is absolutely no reason to postpone your arrival to Belgium any longer. There’s a job here waiting for you! Here’s what you need to know.

The Belgian government chose to fight the coronavirus outbreak with a 7-week confinement period, during which people were advised to work from home when possible. Schools, bars, restaurants and non-essential shops had to close and all public gatherings for sports, cultural or recreational purposes were cancelled. These stringent measures had their effect. Since the beginning of May, the country has entered a phased exit strategy.

Decrease in daily figures

The number of daily new infections has since then evolved in a downward direction, with an average of 82 cases per day counted on 02 July. The number of corona-related deaths has dropped to 6 per day. Scientists confirm that all the figures are dropping, despite the gradual relaxation of the restrictive measures. In addition to overall hygiene, people are still advised, however, to respect social distancing rules or to wear face masks if social distancing is not possible.

Deconfinement measures since 4 May

On 4 May, Belgium started lifting the lockdown gradually. Since then, companies, stores and schools have all reopened, albeit with strong safety measures. The number of allowed social contacts has slowly gone up. On Monday 8 June, hotels, bars and restaurants opened their doors again. Domestic tourist restrictions were abandoned as well. However, festivals and mass events are still cancelled until at least 31 August 2020.

New phase in exit plan on 1 July

With the summer holidays in sight, Belgium is now entering the next phase of its lockdown exit plan. From 1 July:

• people will be allowed to meet with up to 15 different people per household every week;
• indoor cultural activities may host up to 200 visitors, for outdoor events the maximum is 400 people;
• restaurants and bars have may only stay open until 1 am;
• swimming pools, wellness centres, amusement parks, casinos and gaming halls may reopen;
• face masks are still highly recommended in shops and public spaces, but not obliged.

Depending on how the COVID-19 situation evolves, these measures may be eased further starting from 1 August 2020.

COVID-19 safety plan

At Link2Europe, we take the health and well-being of our employees and workers to heart. That’s why we have prepared a COVID-19 roadmap, containing practical guidelines for creating a safe working and living environment for all. All our houses are disinfected before use and we recommend avoiding direct contact with the other occupants for a period of two weeks.

Newcomers will be handed a starter kit with all necessary instructions, a face mask and disinfectant. We urge everyone to follow the news updates closely and to check our Facebook page for the latest info. The entire team is doing everything in its power to guarantee you a safe stay in Belgium.