The Gemeente Groningen is satisfied with how Saturday evening went
The relaxation of Coronavirus measures went smoothly on Saturday in Groningen, reports the GIC. Almost everyone showed their CoronaCheck test or vaccination pass on request, with the bars and restaurants closing much earlier than prior to the pandemic.
Bars and pubs in the city center were able to open their doors again until 00:00 last Saturday, with people asked to show their ‘Corona pass’to gain entry, but without the one and a half metre social distancing rule once inside. “We are satisfied,” says municipal spokesperson Natascha van ‘t Hooft, “the atmosphere was good and the evening passed off peacefully.”
The municipality had consulted with the catering industry in advance: “we see that everyone is doing their best,” says Van ‘t Hooft. No warnings to any establishments were issued on the night itself.
After the 00:00 it was still busy in the city center for a while, but that also soon cleared, says Van ‘t Hooft. “We are still waiting for the feedback from the police and the BOA’s (municipal wardens). Based on that, we look at whether we still need to adjust things.”
Busier than usual
It was busy too on Saturday during the day: “you see that people use one and a half meters less. That looked very different from the past year and a half.” The municipality had responded by deploying extra people on the street all day for questions and assistance.
According to ‘t Hooft, not much can be done about the crowds after 00:00. “Of course we have a national regulation that we have to adhere to, so we cannot spread the closing times.”
Photo by Victor Clime on Unsplash
