Gigantic marketplace De Bazaar to require face masks starting Friday

With more than two million visitors annually, popular covered market De Bazaar in Beverwijk said it will now require the public to wear face masks in order to enter the premises. The organization that runs the sprawling weekend marketplace said it is coming under increasing pressure to do more to protect the safety of their patrons and merchants.

Broadcaster NH Nieuws suggested that the market was the largest organiziation in the Netherlands, outside of public transportation or the airports, to mandate face masks. Many shopkeepers on the Kalverstraat in Amsterdam said they would also maintain a similar requirement.

The organization said it will implement the rule from this weekend, in addition to their existing measures, like one-way walking routes, monitoring crowd size, and additional workers to enforce rules. Continuous cleaning is executed by the staff, and guests can buy a mask at the entrance.

"Employees and tenants of the Bazaar, together with the [security workers], will urgently ask visitors without a mask to put a mask on. If the risk of contamination nevertheless seems high, we will close access to crowded areas until the crowds have subsided," the organization said in a statement.

The recent increase in infections in the Netherlands was one of the reasons why the marketplace introduced the mask rule, a spokesperson for the Bazaar told NH Nieuws. The fear is that a rise in infections could lead to new government-led restrictions.

"So: if you want to continue to enjoy the Bazaar, wear a face mask," the organization wrote in a statement. The usual operations of the Bazaar are Saturday and Sunday only. Now they will also open their door on Fridays to accommodate the masses.