BRUSSELS — The requirement for fully vaccinated people to self-isolate if they have had a high-risk contact for coronavirus will be lifted in Belgium from Jan. 10, the country's federal and regional health ministers said on Tuesday.

The rule applies to anyone who has received a second or third vaccine dose during the five months.

Belgium has also reduced the isolation period for infected people from ten days to seven days.

Since Belgium began its vaccination campaign in December 2020, 77.3 percent of the population have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus, according to the latest figures released by the Belgian health institute Sciensano.

To date, 8,910,139 people have received a first vaccine dose in Belgium. Of them, 8,799,575 people are fully vaccinated. More than 4.3 million people have received a booster dose, according to Sciensano.

The number of confirmed infections doubled in Belgium between Dec. 23 and Dec. 29, 2021, from 7,490 to 14,992 cases, the institute said on Sunday.

To date, Belgium has recorded 2,133,284 COVID-19 cases and 28,385 deaths. — Agencies