Fortunately! Paying €7.50 for an access test to visit cafés and restaurants is off the table
It was briefly on the cards, but fortunately parliament was completely opposed to Hugo de Jonge’s plans. We do not have to pay a personal contribution for a coronavirus test to sit on a terrace or eat out.
It is, of course, also a crazy idea: having a quick coffee on a terrace and first paying €7.50 for an access test… Hugo de Jonge pushed for this, but parliament unanimously opposed it.
Hospitality industry furious
Almost a year ago, we cautiously wrote about it: paying to sit on a terrace: the future? According to Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (KHN), it could easily happen… At the time, we wrote that it was quite possible that prices would increase or, even more drastically, that we would have to pay just to be allowed onto a terrace. It sounded ridiculous to me at the time, but for a moment it seemed to be reality: from July, you would have to pay to visit hospitality venues. The hospitality industry was furious—and fortunately, this bill will not go ahead either.
Access tests, but not for the hospitality industry
The personal contribution for an access test in the hospitality industry has therefore been scrapped. The bill that would make it possible to work with access tests was passed, but with a number of amendments. By using access tests, the cabinet wants to make it possible to reopen parts of society earlier than would otherwise be considered responsible. De Jonge expects that by then (July), access tests will only still be needed for events with large groups of people, such as festivals. De Jonge believes it is fair for festivalgoers to bear part of those costs themselves, but the House does not agree and voted to scrap the personal contribution.
The House is also broadening the bill to include ‘coronavirus access certificates’. De Jonge’s proposal only regulated the use of test certificates, but the House now also wants to include how vaccination certificates or proof that someone recently had coronavirus can grant someone access to activities and events.
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Source: Misset Horeca
