Concerts to be held without fixed seating at 75% capacity from Sept. 25: Report
Indoor events in the Netherlands will soon be permitted to welcome attendees without requiring them to remain in a fixed seat. The change will take effect on September 25, and includes rock concerts and other performances, sources close to the Cabinet told broadcaster NOS.
Venues will also be required to limit capacity to 75 percent of maximum capacity. Current rules cap attendance at two-thirds the venue size, and require guests to remain in their seats.
Those attending events starting on September 25 will have to prove that they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, that they recently tested negative for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, or that they have recovered from the viral infection. Currently, this is frequently demonstrated in the Netherlands using the CoronaCheck app, which generates a QR code complying with the European Union’s Digital Covid Certificate program.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Health Minister Hugo de Jonge are expected to announce the change during a press conference on Tuesday evening. They are also expected to announce that multi-day events will be allowed again if they show their proof of vaccination, recovery or negative test once every 24 hours.
Sports competitions held in outdoor stadiums are also expected to be able to welcome ticket holders to full capacity. However, it was widely believed that nightclubs will have to remain closed. Current catering industry rules call for all facilities to be closed daily from midnight to 6 a.m.
It was also widely reported that Rutte and De Jonge will essentially eliminate the advice that people remain 1.5 meters apart from each other. The advice to reduce time spent at the office will continue, under the slogan, “Work from home when possible, at the office when necessary,” sources told NOS.
It was not yet clear if schools would still be required to sent entire classes home when a single student tests positive for the coronavirus. It was also being debated if travel-related quarantine obligations would be eliminated with continued use of the EU Digital Covid Certificate, NOS reported.
