Haarlem cafe shuttered for months after violating Covid lockdown

Haarlem Mayor Jos Wienen ordered the Stella-Maris Bar & Lounge to close for three months because the business remained open in violation of the country’s coronavirus measures. The municipality of Haarlem said in a press release that the owner of the hospitality business on Kleine Houtwegdid also refused to cooperate with authorities, and posed a threat to them during an inspection.

An enforcement team visited the establishment on Tuesday when there were between thirty and forty visitors inside. It was then that the owner threatened an inspector, the municipality said. The inspector was then assaulted by one of the visitors. She was treated at an area hospital later that night for the injuries she sustained during the incident.

"It is unacceptable that the hospitality business was open, especially given the risk of coronavirus contamination," Wienen said. "It is of the utmost importance that the rules are followed to limit the risk of further infections. The fact that an inspector was threatened by the owner, and that an inspector was injured, makes the situation even more serious."

The owner of the restaurant was not immediately available for comment.