Ten cultural institutions in Amsterdam, including Paradiso, Carré and the DeLaMar Theater, will receive an exemption allowing them to receive more than thirty visitors. The Amsterdam-Amstelland Safety Region announced this on Wednesday. Exceptions are also made in Breda and Tilburg.
Ten cultural institutions in Amsterdam, including Paradiso, Carré and the DeLaMar Theater, will receive an exemption allowing them to receive more than thirty visitors. The Amsterdam-Amstelland Safety Region announced this on Wednesday. Exceptions are also made in Breda and Tilburg.
A maximum number of visitors of 250 per program applies to all rooms.
In Amsterdam, this also applies to the Concertgebouw, the Dutch National Opera & Ballet, ITA, Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, the Meervaart, the Melkweg and De Kleine Komedie.
The exemption is initially valid until October 19. Subsequently, it is examined whether more institutions can qualify or whether scaling will be done.
Ziggo Dome and AFAS Live outside exemption
With the announcement it has also become clear that the Ziggo Dome and AFAS Live are not covered by the exemption. A sitting concert such as The Evening of Film Music, which was to take place at the beginning of October, seems to be unable to take place.
Since the latest government measures, security regions can apply for exemptions for specific buildings. A precondition for this is that an institution must be of great importance to the region. Furthermore, there may not be more than thirty people together in a room, in order to stem the spread of COVID-19.
A spokesperson for mayor Femke Halsema informs NU.nl that locations such as the Ziggo Dome and AFAS Live, despite their size, do not comply with the instructions of the government. It would have been a painful decision for Halsema, but given the circumstances, the mayor saw no better solution.
‘A ray of hope wiped out in one fell swoop’
A spokesperson for AFAS Live said in a response to NU.nl that he understood “the concerns of the cabinet”, but was nevertheless deeply disappointed in the decision. “There was a glimmer of hope again because we could accommodate small-scale events, but this has now been wiped out in one fell swoop. The problem is not with the theaters and concert halls, but we are now being duped again and that makes it extra bitter.”
According to the spokesperson, AFAS Live has deliberately made adjustments to create a safe environment. “In the past period we have invested in a corona-proof environment. For example, an industry-wide 1.5 meter protocol has been implemented and we only use a third of our capacity. We are convinced that it is safe with us, but we do not get the chance to continue. see.”
The director of the Ziggo Dome is also disappointed in the new measures. “We hear everything from the media, even though we make contact with the municipality every hour. In addition, we have proven many times that we can organize events corona proof. We have invested a lot of money in this and gained a lot of experience”, he says in a response. .
In the meantime, the Ziggo Dome has submitted a request to the municipality, in the hope that it will allow more visitors to attend.
Exceptions also for stages in Breda and Tilburg
Exceptions will also be made for stages in Breda and Tilburg. ANP reports that. Institutions within that region with more than six hundred seats can receive an exemption. The safety region Brabant-Noord, which includes Den Bosch, does not, however, grant exemptions. The measures will remain in effect for at least three weeks.
