If the catering industry is given permission to open on Tuesday, this should not be done before 1 June. That says Hubert Bruls, chairman of the Security Council, Monday evening.
“You really have to take the time to implement measures properly. Our opinion is: 1 June, then you should not do that two or three days earlier. Because it is getting complicated enough.”
Recently, there were more and more sounds from the catering industry to open before 1 June, so that catering companies could open the whole Pentecost weekend.
But according to Bruls, that would only cause more confusion. “You really have to introduce it well per municipality, city or village and we are happy that we have 1.5 weeks left for that.”
‘Mayors are on the same page’
Prior to the meeting of the Security Council, a few mayors said that as far as they are concerned, the catering industry can also open the whole Pentecost weekend. “If it does open, that one day will not matter,” said Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb.
But according to Hubert Bruls, chairman of the Security Council and mayor of Nijmegen, the mayors were united during the meeting. “I don’t know how they got in (mayors, ed.), But at least we came out on a par.”
Grapperhaus has ‘great hope’ on opening June 1
Like every week, Minister Ferd Grapperhaus (Justice and Security) was also present at the meeting of the Security Council. He has “great hope” that catering establishments will be able to “open” their doors on 1 June.
“Let’s do that well together. And nobody should do things in advance. That is not wise at all,” said the minister.
Grapperhaus is not afraid that the opening of the catering industry will cause chaotic scenes. “There is no reason for fear at all. So far we have seen that many Dutch people have followed the sensible path. Let’s not talk to each other: oh, it will be chaos. I do not believe in that.”
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