MP’s want to exempt cafe terraces from Covid access pass rules

If it is up to the lower house of Dutch parliament, people do not have to show a coronavirus access pass when they sit on a terrace. The cabinet wants to make this mandatory for the entire catering industry from 25 September, both indoors and outdoors, but parliament does not think it is necessary. The reason is that the chance of a coronavirus infection is smaller outside.

The Kamer debated from noon until late in the evening about the coronavirus measures that should apply from the end of September. The use of access passes was an important theme in this debate. A large part of parliament doubted whether its introduction was necessary and desirable. Nevertheless, a motion by Geert Wilders asking the government to waive the measure everywhere was unsuccessful.

The lower house requested changes to the policy on several points. For example, a majority wants sports and cultural associations to be able to sell food and drinks. People don't go there to sit down at a table, so it is more like takeout, parliament argued.

Parliament also spoke out explicitly against the so-called 2G policy, although as far as is known, cabinet had no plans to implement it. Such a policy means that only people who have been vaccinated or have demonstrably recovered from a coronavirus infection can get an access pass.

This is different from the coronavirus access passes that are currently used in the Netherlands on the CoronaCheck app, because you can also get the green check mark after a negative test. For people who have not been infected and do not want to be vaccinated, this will soon be the only option to visit the catering industry, for example.