Churches, mosques and other religious buildings should also be able to be closed for ten days if this helps to combat a corona fire, outgoing Minister Hugo de Jonge (Public Health) reports Friday after a advice of the Council of State.
The cabinet wants to lay down by law that municipalities, for example, can close businesses, shops and catering establishments for ten days if a lot of corona infections occur there. However, it wanted to exclude philosophical buildings from this, because of the constitutional right to freedom of religion. But the government will return to that after the advice.
The Council of State came to the conclusion after the advisory body had examined the bill that should give mayors the power to shut down in the event of a corona outbreak. According to the Council of State, the bill unjustifiably excludes ideological buildings from this power.
The council emphasizes that the practice of religion or belief in these buildings is constitutionally protected, but “this does not exclude that restrictions may be imposed in a specific law in order to protect public health”, the council said.
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