Since this morning, all Brussels drinking establishments have to keep their doors closed. Entrepreneurial organization NSZ finds the definitions of drinking establishments and restaurants unclear. The city of Brussels has now promised to support the affected cases of 2,000 euros. In the meantime, the cabinet of Prime Minister Rudi Vervoor has announced that cafes that serve small dishes must also close.
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The emergency measures against the corona virus in the Brussels Region, such as the forced closure of cafés, coffee and tea houses, banquet halls and cafeterias, were published on Thursday in the Official Gazette. The most important measure is that ‘all drinking establishments, with the exception of restaurants’, are closed.
The decree clarifies what is meant by drinking establishment. “Place open to the public intended for the consumption of alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks on site, even if this activity is only ancillary”. Specific examples include: ‘cafes, bars, pubs, tea houses, cafeterias and any other place where alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are offered for consumption on site’. According to the description, restaurants are places ‘accessible to the public primarily intended to prepare meals and / or make them available to the public that are consumed or taken on site’, and where the necessary corona measures have been taken.
Main function
For a long time this was unclear to the NSZ. What is meant by ‘main job’? What about eateries and bistros, for example, that serve food and drink? It is not at all clear to them whether they are allowed to stay open or be forced to close, even though the pubs in Brussels are already closed. ‘
Prime Minister Rudi Vervoort clarified the measures on Thursday afternoon. Only restaurants in the Brussels region that serve food as their main activity may remain open for the coming month. Cafés and bars that only serve small dishes, but mainly serve drinks, will have to close. That clarified with Thursday at the cabinet of Prime Minister Rudi Vervoort (PS). The NACE codes were not included in the decision to avoid confusion.
Celebrate
The publication in the Official Gazette also confirms that parties of a private nature in banquet halls and multipurpose halls are prohibited, and that you are not allowed to drink alcohol in public spaces throughout the region. You are also not allowed to eat or drink at markets for the time being. Also the closing of night shops at 10 pm and the ban on public at sporting events is in the same article in the Official Gazette.
As usual, the article also provides the argumentation. For example, the high number of infections is pointed out (with, for example, 502.4 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in two weeks in the Brussels Region), and the reasoning that people move more in pubs than in restaurants.
Support
The Brussels cafés that are forced to close their doors in the coming month can count on a fee of 2,000 euros. The city council states that the measure will cost about a million euros.
There will also be an exemption of at least one month for tenants of the Buildings Agency and the CPAS who have to close down. The council of aldermen has also decided that the tenants of sports canteens in the city of Brussels should not pay rent. ‘We are calling on private landlords and brewers to do the same. At the moment there is a need for solidarity between tenants and landlords, ‘says Wafaa Hammich, mayor Philippe Close’s spokesman.
Catering plan 2021
The Minister of Self-Employed, Self-Employed and SMEs David Clarinval (MR) held a meeting this morning with the representatives of the three catering federations in our country. According to a communication from Clarinval, the questions of the federations were discussed ‘without any taboo’. The minister promised them ‘to do everything in their power to extend the necessary measures in the short term’ and to draw up an ambitious ‘Federal Catering Plan 2021’.
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