The Council of State considers that the Belgian authorities have not sufficiently demonstrated how theaters “are particularly dangerous for health”.
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Belgian justice suspended Tuesday, December 28 the closure of theaters and performance halls announced last week in Belgium by Prime Minister Alexander De Croo to stem the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19. The authorities have not demonstrated “how theaters in the cultural sector are particularly dangerous places for the health and life of people as they promote the spread of the coronavirus, to the point that it is necessary to order their closure”, estimated the Council of State, the highest Belgian administrative court.
His suspension decision, which the government cannot appeal, is applicable immediately. It is valid until a decision is taken on the merits, which could take several months.
The Belgian government decided on December 22 to close theaters, performance halls and cinemas, angering the cultural world in Belgium. Speaking of“inconsistency” even“aberration”, several health experts had publicly denounced this closure, judging it all the more surprising that, at the same time, cafes and restaurants could remain open until 11 p.m. across the country. Certain theaters and numerous cinemas, notably in Brussels, Namur (center) and Liège (east), had decided to defy the ban by remaining open. If the cinemas are formally not concerned by Tuesday’s judgment, which relates to the sole request of a show producer, they are the subject of other appeals which may lead to the same decision, due to this jurisprudence.