New rules on activities for young people
The ministers responsible for youth policy in Belgium’s three language community governments have agreed on additional measures to help curb the spread of coronavirus among the country’s youngsters. The Flemish Youth Minister Benjamin Dalle (Christian democrat), his Francophone counterpart Valérie Glatigny (liberal) and his German-speaking counterpart Isabelle Weykmans (liberal) announced the measures in a press communiqué released on Saturday morning.
For the time being at least activities that involve overnight stays are banned.
Groups that organise activities for children and young people (Scouts, Chiro, etc) are requested to organise outdoor activities wherever possible.
If activities are organised indoors, face coverings are mandatory from the age of 10.
Groups of youngsters may not number more than 50. No more than one group can occupy a given space (scout hall, village hall, church hall, community centre,..) at any one time.
Organisations are asked to make maximum efforts to ventilate any indoor venues they use and to practice 1.5 metre’s social distancing wherever possible.
Speaking earlier on Saturday the Flemish Youth Minister Benjamin Dalle told VRT News that “Once again we face particularly difficult times. Certainly, for children and young people this is a period of great uncertainty. Throughout the whole of the corona crisis youth work organisations have shown that they want to and can take responsibility. Even under the strictest measures they have provided a good and safe range of activities. Both for children and young people these activities provide a ray of light”.