Mayor Jorritsma doesn’t feel like tightening the rules for the hospitality industry, even though many youngsters are ignoring the rules. Infections are on the rise in Eindhoven too, especially among young people.
It’s rather difficult for the hospitality industry to have their visitors abide by the corona measures. At the Stratumseind it is so busy that it’s almost impossible to maintain distance. Catering entrepreneurs at Stratumseind have organized a joint silent-disco party over the past few days. This attracts a lot of enthusiastic visitors – but that puts a lot of corona rules in jeopardy.
Spokesman Ruud Bakker of the local branch of Koninklijke Horeca Nederland is quite upset with it. “Of course, we acknowledge that it is difficult. We do everything we can to get everyone to abide by the rules. The fact that it sometimes doesn’t work out, is actually unavoidable once people have had a few drinks”. He also thinks that many new students still have to get used to the corona rules.
Tightening up the rules
The party at the Stratumseind is taking place at a time when nationwide the discussion on corona rules is flaring up. It seems, stricter rules shall come up in the three big cities. The number of corona infections there has risen sharply in recent weeks, especially among young people.
According to sources in NOS, the closing times in the catering industry in the six regions in the west shall be preponed. These are the regions with the highest number of infections per 100,000 inhabitants:
Amsterdam 27.8
Rotterdam 19,4
Haaglanden 16.5
Utrecht 13,3
Dutch Middle 12.5
Kennemerland 12.2
In Eindhoven, the situation is not so serious: For example, where Amsterdam has 28 confirmed infections per 100,000 inhabitants per day, in Eindhoven there are 11 per 100,000. In the whole of Southeast Brabant there are 7.8 per 100,000 inhabitants. But also here, the number of infections has been rising for days. The number of positive tests is now for the first time higher than in March.
Closing times
Mayor Jorritsma, Corps Administrator of Southeast Brabant, thinks we should also pay attention here. “When I see these images, it worries me”. According to him, the discussion that is going on nationwide is not at issue here. “I see no need at all to reduce closing hours. Because it’s not the hospitality industry, it’s the people. Do I really have to punish the hospitality industry, which is already struggling, for the behaviour of others?”
According to him, however, more supervision is no solution. “Society needs to understand. If I’ve to stress on that by verbals and raised fingers, then it won’t work.” Jorritsma says he has regular contact with the catering industry about the rules. According to him, the municipal supervisors do keep a close eye on the situation.
Source: www.studio040.nl
Translation: Chaitali Sengupta, who gives ONLINE Inburgering classes.
