Staggeringly high coronavirus infection numbers did little to dampen the spirits of bar and restaurant lovers last night before the new measures came into place at 10 PM.
Revellers in The Hague and other cities used their final hours to make the most of open catering businesses, and steep discounts — like 50% off draught beers.
While the parties had an expiration date of 10 PM, when bars, cafes and restaurants all closed for the next four weeks, not everyone was happy to see the fun shut down.
In The Hague, tents of partygoers were full to the point where police had to step in. Images that emerged of the gatherings on social media elicited furious reactions.
For context. Video shot this evening (by me) between 2135 & 2210. I’m equidistance between bar & entrance to Dutch parliament. NL has one of the most rapidly rising infection rates in the world. At least 6,663 Dutch people killed by #COVID19 report running @BBCWorld #Netherlands https://t.co/cIXwEcvyGW pic.twitter.com/CutnBEewDE
— anna holligan 🎙 (@annaholligan) October 14, 2020
A council spokesperson said coronavirus rules were violated, but it is unknown whether any fines were issued. Meanwhile, Mayor Jan van Zanen described the parties as “completely irresponsible.”
“These people don’t care about hard-working healthcare workers, patients who are in ICU or whose surgery is now being postponed,” he said. “Of course people want to party again, but this kind of selfish behaviour only makes the measures last longer.”
Morgen laatste kans om onze taps leeg te maken we hebben er nog 17 met héérlijke speciaalbieren. Help ons en jezelf en…
Geplaatst door Cafe de Opera op Dinsdag 13 oktober 2020
Hospitality industry organization, Koninklijke Horeca Nederland, have also frowned upon the images. “It is unacceptable,” director Dirk Beljaarts told RTL Nieuws. “This is not the hospitality industry. The hospitality industry is crying tonight and has given everything in recent months to offer a safe place to go out.”
Did you head out to the bars last night? Did people behave? Tell us in the comments below!
Feature Image: Marvin Meyer/Unsplash
