Belgium Eases COVID Restrictions: Places of Worship to Allow 100 Worshippers Indoors

According to the decision of the Consultation Committee, religious ceremonies will be able to accommodate up to 100 people indoors and 200 outdoors. As of July 1, the numbers will be doubled to reach 200 worshippers indoors and up to 400 outdoors. The measure applies to all faiths, including during funerals. However, representatives of the recognized faiths in Belgium deplore that the decision does not take into account the capacity of places of prayer and worship.

Ahead of this easing measure, a letter was jointly addressed to the government by representatives of the Roman Catholic, Protestant-Evangelical, Jewish, Anglican, Muslim and Orthodox faiths. They suggested raising the number of worshippers allowed to be present at the same time in a place of worship. They ask that the norm of one person per 10 square meters be reinstated instead of the current absolute number of 15 people, a norm which they say has proven to be "less restrictive for religious practice and at the same time very protective for public health".