Restaurants to reopen at noon on June 1: report

Restaurants, cafes and other catering facilities will be allowed to reopen their doors at noon on June 1 and not before, according to the wishes of the Security Council, sources told RTL Nieuws.

The Security Council consists of the mayors that head the Netherlands' 25 safety regions. The Safety Council was given the opportunity to express how it wants the catering industry to reopen from the coronavirus lockdown. By opening at noon and not immediately after midnight, the mayors hope to prevent too many people from going out at night and thereby any "impromptu" parties.

RTL Nieuws' sources say that the government will adopt this advice.

Many catering businesses lobbied to open a few days earlier, so that they can take advantage of the Pentecost weekend. But the Security Council is against that.

Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus of Justice and Security, who attends the weekly Security Council meeting in Utrecht, said afterwards that he is confident the government will announce that catering establishments can open, with restrictions, on June 1. "But we also have to do that properly together. And no one must do things beforehand. That is really not wise. It won't work," he said to the press after the meeting.

The government is meeting to discuss the coronavirus and the measures in place to curb its spread on Tuesday. Afterwards, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Minister Hugo de Jonge of Public Health will hold a press conference.