The Netherlands is set to abolish most of its Covid-19 restrictions, yet despite having few reported cases, is preparing to introduce a “health pass” to replace them.
Leaked information from the “Outbreak Management Team” revealed that from September 25th, proof of “complete “vaccination, natural immunity to the virus, or a negative Covid test less than 24-hours old will be required to enter cultural venues except for museums and libraries, and indoor spaces in hotels, restaurants, and cafes.
The government’s plans have faced strong opposition, with some arguing that the plans should be scrapped for restaurants and cafes. Some cities such as Amsterdam have made clear that they will not actively inspect or implement fines against restaurant and bar managers on customer checks. Workers in said venues will not be required to have a valid health pass.
Additionally, the “one-and-a-half-meter rule” which has been in force since April 2020, at the beginning of the Covid pandemic, will also be lifted on September 25th. This means that people who are not a part of the same household will no longer be at risk of getting a 95 euro fine if they stand too close together (and even a 181 euro, or around 212 dollar fine inside shops).
However, in recent months this rule has been largely ignored by the Dutch population.
Indoor events will be permitted to function normally, but restaurants and bars will have to close between midnight and 6 am, even when functioning at outdoor events that will now be allowed to go on all night. Large indoor events may function at 75 per cent capacity but must close at midnight.
Many of these decisions were made because of a low death and “case” rate in the Netherlands. Deaths attributed to Covid have dropped to a daily average of between two and seven since mid-June, despite a large number of “cases” from the end of June to August, which led to recovery.
The infection rate is also now moderate in and in a downward trend. It appears as though the worst of the “pandemic” is over in the Netherlands and has been for over six months, without lockdowns and no strict masking laws compared to other neighboring countries.
