Cabinet to also drop shopping-by-appointment rule from April 28: Report

The rule requiring people to make an appointment for shopping at non-essential stores at least four hours in advance could be dropped starting on April 28, when the first stage of coronavirus measures relaxation is supposed to take place, government sources told NOS. However, the number of visitors allowed in a store will still be limited.

On Monday, it leaked out that the curfew in the Netherlands will likely be dropped on April 28, and cafe terraces will be allowed to reopen within certain limits. For example, a maximum of two people from different households may sit at one table and terraces must be closed by 6 p.m. In addition, a maximum of fifty people per terrace will be allowed.

The current maximum of one customer per 25 square meters of shop floor space is expected to remain, along with the maximum of fifty customers in total per store. Since the relaxation is expected to lead to increased crowds, extra workers and security guards are expected to be stationed on popular shopping streets to guide the public.

According to retail industry representative organization INretail, the stores have been ready to reopen for weeks already and also emphasized that there are already protocols ready for the 2,500 shopping areas in the Netherlands to be able to safely handle extra customers and prevent crowding. The organization warned it will still take a while for the industry to go back to its pre-pandemic condition and that many companies will struggle to reach their target turn-overs even once the sector reopens.

Caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Health Minister Hugo de Jonge will hold a press conference on Tuesday evening to announce the policy changes.