Mayors want quick clarity on events; Allow with Covid-19 testing, they suggest

The mayors on the Security Council called on the government to come with quick clarity on what is to happen with events this year. If it were up to them, they'd say allow ticketed events, with attendees having to test negative for Covid-19 beforehand, sources within the Security Council told RTL Nieuws.

The Security Council, which consists of the mayors that head the Netherlands' 25 security regions, are more hesitant to allow open events with no tickets, like the Rotterdam marathon in which people can just line the streets. This also has to do with police deployment. "The police, ambulance, GGD and those involved in security regions and municipalities, among others, have worked an enormous amount of hours during the corona crisis and they also deserve some rest in the coming months," the Security Council said in a statement.

But what the Security Council wants most, is for the government to make a decision on this quickly, so that everyone knows what to expect and how to prepare. "What the Security Council finds particularly important is that clarity should be provided as soon as possible. Clarity for municipalities - what conditions are there for events in connection with permit applications - and for organizers."

On Friday, the cabinet will discuss events and how they will be handled as the Netherlands eases out of the coronavirus lockdown. On Tuesday, more clarity is expected on further relaxation.

The expectation is that some of the relaxations in step 4 of the government's lockdown exit strategy will be moved forward by a few days, from June 30 to June 26. This could include things like allowing eight visitors at home per day, instead of four. And expanding the opening hours for the catering industry. Allowing events is also part of step 4.