New coronavirus rules: Cafe terraces set to reopen on 8 May, travel ban lifted from next week

Restaurants, cafes and pubs in Belgium could be allowed to reopen their outdoor terraces from Saturday 8 May - the same day that the nationwide curfew will be partially lifted - if the vaccination of vulnerable groups continues as planned and intensive care admissions are brought under control.

The ban on non-essential travel will be lifted next Monday, 19 April, but with strict quarantine and testing requirements from red zones and reinforced checks.

Also on 19 April, children will return to school - 100% face-to-face up to the second year of secondary school. From the third year of secondary school upwards, pupils will follow distance learning for 50% of the week. The situation will be reassessed at the beginning of May.

Non-essential shops, hairdressers, tattoo parlours and beauty salons will be allowed to reopen fully on 26 April. Making an appointment to visit a non-essential shop will no longer be necessary.

From 26 April, meet-ups outdoors will be possible with a maximum of 10 people - instead of the current four.

Belgium's coronavirus consultative committee met for more than six hours on Wednesday. While most of the eased measures were agreed upon quickly, the reopening of the hospitality industry prompted heated debates.

Pubs and restaurants are unlikely to be allowed to welcome customers indoors before June. The potential reopening of the catering industry on 8 May coincides with the easing of Belgium's nationwide curfew - currently from midnight to 5.00. People will be allowed outside between these hours but only in groups of up to three people.

Also from 8 May, outdoor culture and leisure activities should once again be allowed, in groups of up to 50. The broader reopening of the culture sector will depend on a series of pilot schemes to assess how venues can reopen in the safest possible conditions.

At the same time, for the first time since last autumn, it will be possible to invite two people to your house instead of one. These "close contacts" are people with whom you do not necessarily need to wear a mask or keep a safe distance.

The consultative committee is expected to meet again on 23 April to discuss the rules surrounding summer cultural, sport and youth activities.