Terraces will open Tuesday, but won't serve food or drinks

Restaurants plan to go through with reopening their terraces on Tuesday, but without serving any refreshments, Johan de Vos said on behalf of a group of dozens of local departments of hospitality association KHN. According to him, the opening of terraces will have a "playful" character, ANP reports.

Catering establishments in the Netherlands have been closed for everything but takeaways since October. They do not understand why they weren't included in the relaxation of some measures this week, which allowed secondary schools and most contact professions to reopen, among other things.

By not serving refreshments on Tuesday, the KHN departments believe the restaurants will be adhering to the coronavirus rules that ban the on-site consumption of food and drinks. But according to them, the closure of outdoor space makes no sense. Which is why the terraces will reopen.

Last week multiple Ministers urged catering establishments not to go through with this action. Economic Affairs minister Bas van 't Wout stressed that the infection figures do not allow for any further relaxation of the rules at this time. Justice and Security minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus warned that all entrepreneurs who ignore the rules will be fined.