Last week the cabinet hinted that terraces may open towards the end of the month. However, there will be no relaxation of coronavirus measures on April 21.
Yesterday, a cabinet spokesperson announced this news. It was thought that they may be room for terraces to open and curfew to be dropped next week, but the cabinet now believes it’s too soon to ease up on measures. The Netherlands has not yet had its peak of the third wave of coronavirus infections.
This decision came after the Dutch Association of Hospitals said that it was confused by the cabinet’s plan to relax measures. The Dutch cabinet has said it will consider relaxing measures after April 28 if the R rate has dropped significantly, reports the NOS.
A summer with few coronavirus restrictions
The cabinet says it’s looking to relax most measures to have a summer without strict coronavirus restrictions in the Netherlands. Part of this step-by-step plan includes opening up education more, including universities and after school care. Relaxing measures for shops has also been discussed.
Dutch mayors call for terraces to be opened
Mayors of four major cities in the Netherlands have made “an urgent appeal” for terraces to be opened. In a joint statement, the mayors of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and The Hague have said that current measures are becoming impossible to enforce.
They went on to say that “in densely populated areas, residents desperately need the outdoor spaces and appropriate them when the weather improves,” according to RTL Nieuws. Amsterdam mayor, Femke Halsema, has said that “the health crisis is serious, but we cannot force the lockdown with repression.”
On Tuesday, any changes to current coronavirus measures will be announced in a press conference.
Are you surprised that the cabinet has changed its plan? Let us know what you think in the comments!
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