Mixed reactions to lockdown relaxation as restaurants, museums reopen their doors

After the Cabinet announced a relaxation of lockdown measures in a press conference on Tuesday evening, everything in the Netherlands is allowed to open again between 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. under certain conditions. Bars and restaurants can receive guests again, as can theaters, museums, casinos, zoos, and amusement parks. Most are pleased with the relaxation, but some sectors are disappointed by the restrictions still in place.

For schools, only pupils who have symptoms or tested positive for Covid must stay home. The rest of the class can go to school. Pupils are advised to do a home test twice a week.

The PO-Raad, the umbrella organization for primary education, is pleased with the less strict quarantine rules. "In recent weeks, an awful lot of classes had to go home. That demands a lot from pupils, parents, and educational staff. It remains an organizational puzzle for school teams due to the high infection rates. But with the relaxation of the rules, more children can go to school together with classmates. We know how important that is for their development. At the same time, we have to keep an eye on the concerns that exist among educational staff," said chairman Freddy Wierma of the PO-Raad.

Conditions apply for reopening in many sectors. Coronavirus access passes - usually in the form of a QR code on the CoronaCheck app - are mandatory for everyone from the age of 13 in the catering industry, theaters and concert halls, museums, indoor sports locations, cinemas, zoos, amusement parks, saunas, and casinos. People must also wear a face mask on public transport and in public indoor spaces like shops and museums. For cinemas, theaters, and catering, visitors can take off their masks as soon as they are seated.

Cinemas across the country see a run on tickets. Boris van der Ham, chairman of the Dutch Association for Cinemas and Film Theaters (NVBF), confirmed long digital queues on Tuesday evening. In some cases, the estimated waiting time was over 40 minutes, with thousands of people in the line.

The cinema industry is happy with the reopening but is "disappointed" with the conditions set by the Cabinet. "The stacking of an end time, the 1.5 meters apart, and a coronavirus access pass, makes it difficult. We hope that the Cabinet will let some of that go so that there is more space to show films. We will speak to the State Secretary and inform her about this. Because we can open safely," said Van der Ham.

Ritty van Straalen, CEO of event organization ID&T Groep, watched the press conference with "bewilderment." He described it as a charade and the reopening of events "nothing less than an empty promise." "What is framed as opening the entire sector is again nothing less than an empty promise and feels like a punch in the face to the 100,000 people who work in our industry. There will be no reopening at a third capacity."

The announced relaxations lack the perspective that the entire cultural sector has been demanding for months, said Van Straalen. "The accursed yo-yo policy arises when a long-term vision is missing, a vision that has been promised for some time but still isn't there," he said. "Give us the perspective we so desperately need and come up with a long-term plan. Stop the empty promises. A crumb is not bread."

Day attractions are"eager" to open their doors again, said Club van Elf president Mascha Taminiau. Zoos, in particular, benefit from the relaxation of coronavirus measures. "Most will open on Wednesday or Thursday." Everything is set up and ready to receive visitors again. The attractions were just waiting for the green light. "The employees are eager, and the guests are also excited."

The Club van Elf represents seven zoos, six museums, and eleven amusement parks. Only two of the latter group will open this week, Efteling and Toverland. The rest will follow after the winter season at Easter. "So we hope everyone adheres to the rules so that the other parks can also open again," said Taminiau, also the director of Walibi Holland.

Casino chains Holland Casino and Jack's Casino are happy to open again, even if only until 10:00 p.m. Holland Casino announced that poker is not yet possible. "The 1.5-meter rule really has to be abolished for that," a spokesperson said.