Dutch gov't to completely ban fireworks this New Year's: report

The government wants to completely ban fireworks over New Year's this year, sources in The Hague told NOS. The Ministers involved in the coronavirus consultation will discuss this ban on Tuesday, and officially announce it around Friday, the broadcaster's sources said.

A support package for the sector will immediately form part of the consultation on Tuesday. Tens of millions of euros were set aside for this, the sources said. The government does not want to make any official announcements until the support measures have been further elaborated.

If the government does ban the lighting and sale of fireworks this New Year's, it will be in line with demands from the mayors that head the Netherlands 25 security regions, the police, opposition parties GroenLinks and PvdD, healthcare associations, and enforcers.

Over the past weeks, they all called for a complete ban this year, arguing that the healthcare system and enforcement authorities already have their hands full with the coronavirus crisis. Adding fireworks and related injuries on top of that would be too much.

Every year consumer fireworks around New Year's cause hundreds of injuries in the Netherlands. There are also always incidents of police officers and other first responders being pelted with fireworks.