In Amsterdam, Eindhoven, The Hague and Rotterdam, among others, it is urgent to wear a face mask in “public indoor spaces”. Are educational institutions also covered?
At The Hague University of Applied Sciences, the mouth mask must be worn inside. But this is not necessary at ROC Mondriaan, a little further away. The same applies in Rotterdam: not at Albeda College and Erasmus University, but most likely at Hogeschool Rotterdam. And also in Amsterdam: the Hogeschool van Amsterdam recommends wearing mouth masks, the University of Amsterdam does not.
In short, the advice to wear a face mask in “public spaces” in the four regions creates a lot of confusion. Because you have to have one in catering establishments, museums, libraries and government buildings, but does that also apply to schools and universities? You could say so, because people can also walk in and out freely there.
“It is a legal twilight zone whether we are a public space or not”, says Chairman Ron Bormans of the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. According to him, the corridors, the learning centers and the restaurants are. That is why he also tends to impose a masking obligation, although that has yet to be officially shorted in a meeting.
The Rotterdam Albeda College, on the other hand, is of the opinion that the MBO school does not fall under the definition of public interior space. But the spokesperson also states that the definition is borderline. “That makes it complicated. We can do nothing but follow the rules that we understand. So we do not make mouth masks mandatory, but if staff and students do want to wear them, they are of course free. They are, however, used during practical lessons and in the elevator, so in places where we cannot guarantee a meter and a half. ”
An extra step
Eindhoven University of Technology is still in doubt and will first consult with the safety region. TIO Hogescholen, which is located in Eindhoven, Rotterdam and Amsterdam and offers both MBO and HBO courses, made face masks mandatory earlier. “We have our own masks with our logo for students who do not have them with them,” said a spokesperson. “The mask has to be put on while moving, so in the corridors and the breaks, and can be taken off when you are seated. When it comes to safety, we thought it was good to go the extra mile. ”In general, there has been a positive response to the corona measures in MBO, HBO and WO. University association VSNU says it is happy with the cabinet’s position and that education can continue as usual. The MBO Council calls it “fantastic” that no extra measures have been announced for education and the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences also reacts positively, although they also say to “remain vigilant”.
According to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, it is not necessary to recommend mandatory masking in MBO and higher education. “Education is a closed space, so it doesn’t have to be there,” says spokesman Michiel Hendrikx. “Moreover, only part physical education is provided at the location, so keeping a meter and a half away is sufficient for now.” But could not more physical education be given precisely with a duty to mask? That is getting ahead of things, says Hendrikx. “The Outbreak Management Team comes with additional advice about mouth masks. The one and a half meter measure is now the most important requirement for the time being. ”
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How useful is wearing a mouth mask?
Mayor Femke Halsema of Amsterdam calls for a mouth mask to be worn in all publicly accessible indoor areas, not just in the shops. The mayors of Rotterdam, The Hague and Eindhoven make a similar plea. But is there any hard evidence for the benefit of wearing a face mask?
