Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
Man putting on a mask
Man putting on a mask - Credit: karrastock.gmail.com / DepositPhotos - License: DepositPhotos
Business
Politics
Health
face masks
CBL
Inretail
Coronavirus
Covid-19
SARS-CoV-2
d66
Rob Jetten
Hugo de Jonge
Ministry of Public Health Welfare and Sports
Lilian Marijnissen
SP
PvdA
Lodewijk Asscher
Groenlinks
Jesse Klaver
Wednesday, 30 September 2020 - 11:50
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

Netherlands shopkeepers want clarity on face masks

The government's "advice" to wear face masks in stores in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague is too vague, according to shopkeepers in the Netherlands. Do they have to refuse entry to customers not wearing a mask? Or is it up to the customer to decide whether they want to wear a mask or not? Clarity is needed, NRC reports after speaking to some stores.

De Bijenkorf in Rotterdam handed out masks to customers on Tuesday - one of the few stores that decided to enforce the mask advice. Hema and supermarkets Albert Heijn and Jumbo said they'd ask their customers to follow the advice, but won't enforce it. Supermarkets' association CBL gave its members similar advice, to prevent fights at the door.

In a press conference on Monday, the government advised the public to wear masks while shopping in the three large cities with high numbers of coronavirus infections. Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Eindhoven went further, urgently advising people in the cities to wear masks in indoor public spaces. Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema said she would have liked to make masks mandatory, but that is too legally complicated on a regional level. The national government will have to take that step, she said.

On Tuesday, Health Minister Hugo de Jonge stressed that the masks measure is still just advice, not mandatory. Thereby not clearing up any confusion for shopkeepers as to what they have to do.

"One shopkeeper will enforce it strictly, the other will not. Customers then no longer understand," Jan Meerman of trade association INRetail said to AD. According to him, an obligation, making masks mandatory, would work a lot better. "Then you have clarity."

Political parties in parliament also find the rules unclear, and more and more votes are turning towards implementing mandatory face masks on a large scale, according to NOS.

D66 leader Rob Jetten said he understands that shopkeepers don' want to "play police", but a second lockdown needs to be prevented. "The government therefore needs to seriously consider face masks in crowded inside spaces." And that must be implemented nationally, to prevent confusion, he said to the broadcaster.

SP leader Lilian Marijnissen said that "nobody understands" exactly what the current measures are. Jesse Klaver of GroenLinks said that the government's measures are far too unclear and non-committal. "You have to have the same rules everywhere: in public spaces where you can't keep sufficient distance, wear a face mask. You just have to do that," he said to NOS.

PvdA leader Lodewijk Asscher criticized how the government is handling the whole mask situation. "They said for months that it does not work, while it is mandatory in public transport and now you get the intermediate form of shopkeepers asked to do it." He'd also like mandatory masks in all public areas where social distancing cannot be maintained.

The new measures implemented this week, which took effect on Wednesday, will be evaluated on how effective they were in the coming weeks. If the number of coronavirus infections did not decrease sufficiently by October 20, the government is ready with additional measures, AD reports. These could include a curfew, and mandatory masks, among other things.

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • Harlingen skipper prosecuted for 12-year-old's death during school boating trip
  • Erasmus MC would not allow fatal shooting suspect to graduate without psychological exam
  • Child pornography widely shared on Telegram: report
  • Amsterdam Conservatorium severs ties with two teachers for sexual harassment
  • Flowers and sadness at Rotterdam home of mother & daughter killed in shootings
  • Hoekstra silenced criticism of Qatar in World Cup run-up

Top stories

  • Erasmus MC lecturer killed in Rotterdam shootings described as amiable, involved GP
  • Erasmus hospital was warned about student Fouad L., suspected of killing 3 in Rotterdam
  • Annual inflation rate drops to 0.2%, lowest in 7 years; Groceries 10% more expensive
  • Third victim, a 14-year-old girl, dies from injuries in Rotterdam shootings
  • Two killed, teen critically injured in Rotterdam shootings; Suspect a med student
  • Suspect arrested in Erasmus hospital shooting and fires; At least one dead

© 2012-2023, NL Times, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Partner content