What’s allowed and what isn’t? All the wonderfully sociable rules for going out again, listed
Provided everything goes well, we can finally go to our favorite cafés and restaurants again on June 1. But oh, the confusion! What exactly is and isn’t allowed in this new, wonderfully sociable hospitality reality? Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (KHN) has drawn up a protocol for the hospitality industry, and here’s what you can expect:
Let’s start with the good news: WE’RE ALLOWED OUT AGAIN! But simply walking into somewhere on a whim? That’s not allowed. For the time being, cafés and restaurants may work exclusively with reservations. Making a reservation at the door before entering also counts as a reservation, as long as the maximum of 30 people indoors and the 1.5-meter distance are not compromised. You may only actually go inside after a brief intake, which shows that you do not pose a risk of infection.
Sneezing, coughing, shortness of breath?
During this intake, you will be asked about your health. Sneezing, coughing, shortness of breath? A fever? Then you can turn around and go home. This also applies if one of your housemates has these symptoms and you have seen this person in the past 14 days. If none of this applies, you may go inside. But first, disinfect your hands.
Four people at a table or the bar
Once inside, the 1.5-meter distance between tables applies, unless the tables are separated from each other by a screen. According to the protocol, you may sit at a table or at the bar with a maximum of 4 people, except if you are part of a family/household consisting of more than 4 people.
Fancy sitting on a terrace?
That’s a little easier. You don’t need to make a reservation for the terrace. Everyone does have to sit at a table, and there must be 1.5 meters between the tables. These conditions immediately limit the number of people on the terrace: the larger the terrace, the more people, but not more per square meter. Want to go inside? That’s only possible as long as the maximum of 30 people indoors and the 1.5-meter distance are not compromised. And here too, you will be checked beforehand.
Questions, questions…
According to KHN, the protocol is a ‘living document’ that will be adjusted in response to developments surrounding the coronavirus in the Netherlands. For now, it is therefore neither leading nor binding; that depends on the government’s final decision. In the meantime, half the hospitality industry is practically bouncing off the walls with helplessness—and I can completely understand that. Because it continues to raise so many questions. What if a guest disagrees with the outcome of the screening conversation? Will people then have their temperature taken? What if people need to use the restroom? What do you do with a small pub? How are you supposed to check an entire family or household, and if everyone inside has passed the health screening, are you allowed to serve them within 1.5 meters? Are trolleys still necessary? And, and, and… to be continued….
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