With the number of coronavirus infections going down and the Netherlands fine-tuning its vaccination strategy, things finally seem to be headed in the right direction.
The Dutch cabinet thinks so too, as they have been discussing potential relaxations of current coronavirus restrictions. From May 19, we may be able to play sports indoors, visit zoos and amusement parks, and attend lessons in music schools again, according to RTL Nieuws.
The cabinet is also considering the possibility of allowing terraces to stay open longer. This would mean extending current opening times of 12 PM to 6 PM. Insider sources in The Hague claim we could see terraces opening earlier in the morning until 8 PM.
Cabinet still unsure
This decision has not yet been formally made. However, the Dutch government has agreed that if the number of coronavirus infections and hospital admissions keeps going down, they will continue to relax the current restrictions.
Based on its new five-step plan for a restriction-free summer, the government was initially hoping to introduce more relaxations on May 11. These, however, were postponed.
Summer vacay abroad?
Whether we’ll really be able to spend our summer holiday basking in the Spanish or Italian sun is now up to the European Parliament and the European Council.
Negative travel advice applies in the Netherlands until May 15. After that, the country will probably go back to the colour coding system whereby travellers can go to countries where the number of infections is low.
A couple of destinations are already relatively safe to visit. For example, travellers returning to the Netherlands from Portugal, as well as some Spanish and Greek islands, no longer have to quarantine.
Measures announced tomorrow
The cabinet will announce the exact measures and relaxations that we can expect from May 18 in a press conference tomorrow.
Do you think we’ll see further relaxations in the Netherlands? Let us know in the comments below!
Feature Image: Elevate/Unsplash
