Police warn of crowding at Hoek van Holland beach

After throngs of people flocked to the beach at Hoek van Holland on Saturday, police in the costal area west of Rotterdam asked the public to avoid the seaside on Sunday. The police were concerned about overcrowding at a time when everyone was still being asked to follow safe social distancing rules to help reduce the number of new coronavirus infections in the Netherlands.

“We understand that you are tired of sitting inside and would like to go outside for a while,” police wrote in a statement. “However, it is currently so busy at the parking facilities at [the] beach that sufficient distance cannot be kept. We therefore ask you to postpone your visit or to not come at all.”

Authorities there issued several such warnings over the summer, including as late as August 8.

Since the announcement of a national lockdown in mid-December, Rotterdam residents have tested positive for coronavirus about 260 times per day, according to data from the RIVM.