The editors of RTL Nieuws took a tour of the 25 safety regions that the Netherlands is rich. These security regions are about the local response to disasters and crises, and therefore also about the corona crisis. They appear to be not exactly unanimous about whether Halloween and St. Maarten can continue this year.
The Netherlands appears to be roughly divided into security regions that advise against the parties and security regions that allow them to take place, but which do attach rules to this.
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‘Urgently not recommended’
Sint-Maarten is strongly discouraged by the North Holland North safety region. Not surprising in itself: the risk here has recently been increased to the very highest level, very serious. “We must do all we can to ensure that the virus is reduced,” he said.
Just a year ago, they also say in the South Holland South region. In Utrecht, the response is: “We call on everyone to ask themselves whether the celebration of St. Maarten this year on 11 November is a good idea.”
Pediatrician-epidemiologist Patricia Bruijning of the UMC Utrecht will certainly not be celebrating Halloween this year, she showed this week. know to the Volkskrant. Children are less contagious and contamination through objects is likely to be rare. Yet she is not comfortable and keeps her children at home.
‘Children only have a small share’
Very different sounds can be heard from the north of the country. The tour through the doors can continue there. Perhaps not surprising, because there the risk is one level lower, at ‘serious’. Yet contamination levels are not that far apart either.
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Apparently there is room for interpretation and one region sees it as a risk and another does not. For example, Koen Schuiling, mayor of Groningen and chairman of the security region there, reports to RTL Nieuws: “The party in which children visit the doors with lanterns can continue. After all, children only have a small share in the spread of the virus, especially outside. . “
Incidentally, it applies to all security regions that allow it to pass through the doors: they strongly advise against all other events around Halloween and St. Maarten.
General advice
Most regions assume their own responsibility and refer to the general advice from the national government, which has even created a separate page for this.
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Children at the doors, the government advises:
“If you go to the doors with your child at Halloween or St. Maarten? Then go alone with your own family or with a small, permanent group at the doors. 1.5-metre distance of the residents. Do not organize activities in the street or neighborhood that involve adults in a group. “
“Children up to and including 12 years old are allowed to sing at parties and parades or entries. Children from 13 years and adults do not sing along.”
Source: Central government
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‘Only wrapped candies’
Some security regions provide some additional advice, such as the Gelderland-Midden region. There it is recommended to visit the doors ‘in small groups’, with a maximum of four adults as a companion. Tip for the kids: “Only accept wrapped candies and chocolates and keep the lights clearly visible.”
The people who open the door have also been thought of. “Make a chalk sign on the sidewalk in front of the door for five feet. And if you don’t want to open the door as a precaution, please and post a friendly note for the children.”
Mayor Marcouch, chairman of the safety region: “Be careful, follow the rules, also at Halloween and St. Maarten. Have fun and stay healthy.”
Halloween is on October 31, St. Maarten on November 11.
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