Belgium reverses COVID cultural rules: The show must go on!
ABC News
Belgian authorities have allowed for the reopening of cinemas, theaters and concert halls
BRUSSELS -- Belgium reversed some of its COVID-19 restrictions Wednesday, allowing for the reopening of cinemas, theaters and concert halls.
The move was a victory for the culture sector, which said it was being unfairly targeted by the rules.
The Belgian government and regional authorities had come under increasing pressure to undo last week's decision on closures, which weren't even backed by scientific experts. It highlighted the widening fault line between authorities trying to keep the pandemic at bay with on-the-spot decisions and a public increasingly frustrated by limits on their personal freedoms.
“We heeded the call of the cultural sector,” Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden said.
