Anyone leaving home in Antwerp is required to wear a mouth mask. Intense outdoor sports without a mask are allowed, but the golden rule remains: keep your distance. The Cyclists’ Association clearly lists the rules for cyclists.
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Mouth mask must be worn by everyone from 12 years of age and in public places or where the physical distance of 1.5 metres cannot be respected.
Anyone who engages in sports, such as intense cycling, should not wear a mouth mask. County Governor Berx is following the advice of the World Health Organization (WHO), which states that intense exercise with the mouth and nose covered is a health hazard. Sports are only allowed in sports infrastructure or in places and times where the risk of transmission of the virus is almost non-existent.
So a mouth mask is not mandatory when doing intense sports, cycling falls under it. Cyclists who wish to exercise in a group must limit themselves to a maximum of ten participants, and a distance of one and a half meters must be maintained in that group. If this is not possible, cyclists should wear a mouth mask when riding in a group.
A mouth mask is mandatory when cycling in a crowded environment, such as downtown. So it’s basically a matter of determining if you can keep enough distance from others while cycling. Crowds are a determining factor. In any case, always take a mouth mask with you, also on the bike, the cyclists’ union advises.
Add August 3. Earlier, the province of Antwerp informed Standard Be aware that a mouth mask is not mandatory for cyclists who take a quiet road, eg on their way to work. But a mouth mask is also mandatory in this case, only with intense sports, a mouth mask is not mandatory.
