Brussels Becomes the Latest European Region to Make the Use of a Mask Mandatory

Brussels has now made it mandatory to wear masks in public for anyone over 12 years old in public places from today.

MASKS are now mandatory in all its 19 districts, the law was bought in to improve sanitary measures as coronavirus cases, which exceed 50 per week per 100,000 inhabitants, continue to increase.

As reported in a press release by the Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region, Rudi Vervoort, the use of a mask will be mandatory throughout the region for all people over 12 years old who are in public places. Brussels has a population of around 1.2 million, all citizens now have to wear a face mask when in parks, on streets or in any other public sites, as well as in private spaces that are accessible to the public.

Until recently masks had only been compulsory in crowded public spaces and enclosed sites, such as shopping centres or markets etc. The mask-wearing regulation is one of the strictest currently applied in any of Europe’s capitals and follows a similar decision by authorities in Madrid, Spain in July.

Since Monday, in Paris, France, everyone aged 11 and over is now required to wear a mask in crowded areas and tourist hotspots. These include the banks of the River Seine and more than 100 streets in the French capital, including tourist destinations like Montmartre, home to the Sacre Coeur basilica.