All hospitality industry outlets have been closed for four weeks (aside form take-away)
Yesterday Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced significantly strengthened Coronavirus regulations in a press conference. Yet, the lock-down is not complete, in Groningen The Forum, cinemas and the Groninger Museum can remain open despite the meausures. However, there is a maximum of thirty people per room allowed, as per the new rules.
The MartiniPlaza will close its doors for the next four weeks as part of the measures, saying that all events from October 15 to November 11 will be canceled. As reported by the GIC.
The new measures will take effect on Wednesday at 22:00, with the hospitality industry closing its doors. Face-masks are now required in all indoor public spaces, and amateur sports have been prohibited.
Theaters and conference centers may also remain open, but there is also a maximum of thirty people per room. The question is therefore whether that is profitable, though.
As for the Forum, the building can remain open. A maximum of thirty people are allowed in per room, and its hospitality outlets will also close.
The PM also spoke of eight drastic measures, which will apply for at least four weeks. Rutte said: “these are new and strong measures. In fact, we are going to a partial lockdown. We must drastically reduce social contacts and travel movements. The measures are going to hurt! The facts do not lie. We must be stricter on ourselves and our own behavior.”
According to the prime minister, affected business owners can count on new support packages, and there is also to be stricter enforcement on the rules.
The measures in full
1: Cafés, restaurants and coffee shops are closing again for consuming on the premises. They are allowed to keep take-away counters open. Hotels are allowed to serve food and drinks to guests that are sleeping there. After 20:00 alcohol is no longer allowed to be sold (including in shops). People are also no longer allowed to consume alcohol in public areas after 20:00.
2: Group sizes for functions has been reduced to 30 people, including for conference centers and theaters. There will be a number of exceptions for funerals, etc. Groups of friends must not be larger than four, and people may receive three guests, but only for one visit per day.
3: Public in sports remains prohibited. Children and young people up to the age of 18 are allowed to continue to play sports as a team, but competitions are suspended. People aged above 18 can exercise individually, with a maximum of four people and at a distance.
4: All events are banned again: from open-air concert to neighborhood barbecues, and fun fair.
5: Transit locations (museums, amusement parks, zoos and weekly markets) can remain open. That also applies to Forum Groningen.
6: Dutch residents are asked to work from home unless there is no other option. That advice was already published, but is now to be followed up sufficiently, with rules to be enforced more strictly.
7: Advice is not to go to orange or red countries during vacation.
8: There will be a duty to mask public indoor spaces as soon as possible. This also applies to education from secondary education.
The measures apply for four weeks. The first results will be looked at in two weeks. There will also be a roadmap from which you can determine which measures belong to which contamination figures.
More information available on the Dutch government’s website.
