These countries are letting go of corona measures: 'Time to dance'

More and more countries in Europe are relaxing the corona measures. France is sticking to the corona pass and has recently implemented a 2G policy.

Shall we take the train to Paris, or a weekend to Milan? Many people are itching: time to get out and about. Preferably to a country where you no longer have to think about corona measures. Good news: more and more countries are completely locked out.

In the Netherlands, but also in Germany, the infection rates are still rising every day, but in other countries they have passed the omikrone peak. Many countries are therefore easing step by step. They go the furthest in Scandinavia. Sweden follows Denmark, where all measures have been removed. In France and Italy they are sticking to the corona pass and mouth cap for the time being.

Frontrunner: Scandinavia

“It’s time to open up,” Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said at a news conference today. In a week (February 9) Sweden will be completely unlocked and everything is possible again. She does warn the unvaccinated: it is better not to enter crowded places.

On Tuesday, Denmark was the first EU country to put an end to all measures. The number of infections is through the roof, but just like in Sweden, the vaccination rate is high and few people are in hospital.

Your phone can just stay there in your pocket or bag. You don’t have to show the corona pass anywhere and you don’t have to wear a mouth cap anymore. It is only recommended in the hospital or when you visit your grandmother in the nursing home, for example.

Two-thirds fewer travelers at airports than before corona

You can re-enter Norway without first taking a mandatory test. Restaurants and bars are allowed to serve alcohol again after eleven o’clock in the evening and theaters and cinemas are allowed to fill the halls again.

However, the country does not go as far as Denmark and Sweden. Wearing a face mask in busy places, such as shops and public transport, remains mandatory. Visit Wejustgotback.com for more information. The government has allowed nightclubs to open, but dancing there is not allowed, because then too little distance can be kept.

Belgium

In Belgium, they have had a corona barometer (red, yellow, green) since last week to clarify what is and is not allowed. Our southern neighbors started in the red.

That was good news for the catering industry, because they can stay open longer. You can now have a beer until twelve o’clock. You can sit at a table with six people. Take your corona ticket with you and a mouth cap is also mandatory. Amusement parks, zoos and swimming pools are open. The nightlife remains closed.

France

If you fancy a weekend in Paris, you might feel even more excited: a series of relaxations have been implemented since yesterday.

Wearing a mouth cap outside is no longer necessary. All seats in theaters can be occupied again. On February 16, the nightclubs will also open again and you can go to a standing concert again. If the infection figures fall, the mask obligation will also disappear in the spring, according to the French government.

Is life in France back to normal? “No,” says correspondent Eveline Bijlsma. “We recently got 2G, with a vaccination or recovery certificate everything is possible again. But life is deliberately made difficult for non-vaccinated.”

A report from last summer, when France was quick to introduce the coron pass. Nevertheless, there is a chance that 2G will be abandoned in the long term. 2G will remain until July at the latest, but according to the Minister of Health, it is being investigated whether it can be discontinued earlier. “Paris still feels empty without tourists, but they hope that it will get better with the holidays,” says Bijlsma.

Italy

Visiting Milan or Rome? According to correspondent Anouk Boone, it is already a good place to stay. “The hours of sunshine are increasing and you can feel that spring is in the air.”

The Italians show a downward trend when it comes to the number of infections, yet the government remains alert. He would like to increase the vaccination rate. That is why Italians are subject to a vaccination obligation for everyone over the age of 50.

At the same time, there is also relaxation. The discos will open again on 11 February. “I immediately took a screenshot of the message and sent it to my friends,” says Boone. “We are going to have a dance. It is the last piece of society that is still locked.”

Starting next week, the mouth cap outside will no longer be mandatory, although that rule has not been properly observed lately (see photo). The mouth cap obligation still applies inside. In theaters and cinemas you have to keep the hood on for the entire performance. in remainder aurants or bars only when moving.

Different policies will apply to Italians and tourists. Residents of the country are subject to 2G, tourists can also have a bite to eat or go to the pub with a negative test certificate (3G).

Until recently, tourists also needed a mandatory negative test certificate to enter the country, but that has been canceled. “The Dutch can easily go here for a weekend,” says Boone.

Spain

The number of infections is also falling in Spain. It was the first country to start treating omikron as the flu, but it has not yet come to that. Different measures apply per region in the country. In a number of places, the restrictions have been virtually lifted, such as in Catalonia. In other places, such as Ibiza and Mallorca, you still have to show a corona passport to enter a restaurant. You also have to wear a mouth cap.

Germany

Our eastern neighbors may not start easing until March, but a decline must have started by then. New consultation will take place on February 16. The 2G rule that applies in some federal states will then be on the table. For example, anyone who wants to eat out must now be able to demonstrate that they have been vaccinated or cured.

Calls for easing are growing in Germany, but acting now is too early, authorities say. For example, the vaccination rate is lower than, for example, in Denmark.