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REACTIONS. “Everything indicates that we must have our camps …

Sporta, the organizer of various sports camps in our country, does not understand that youth camps during the Easter holidays can only be organized with 10 children and only outside. “I don’t understand that train of thought, it is practically impossible to switch in such a short period of time. Everything indicates that we will have to cancel our camps, ”said General Manager Jo Schreurs. Youth associations also react disappointed, although they also show understanding. There has also been reaction from other sectors.

Normally, the so-called outdoor plan went into effect from 1 April, whereby youth camps were allowed to take place in bubbles of 25, even with overnight stays. The condition was that participants had a rapid test at the beginning and the end of the camp. Due to the rising corona figures, the Consultation Committee decided on Friday to scale back that decision. Youth camps can still continue, but with 10 children and without overnight stays.

OVERVIEW. This was the decision of the Consultation Committee: no relaxation, strictures for youth camps and on trains, tests at work

“This is incomprehensible and we are deeply disappointed,” said Jo Schreurs, general manager of Sporta, which organizes camps for more than 2,000 children during the Easter holidays. “We were able to work perfectly safely with those quick tests before and after the camp. Now we run the risk again that children will have to stay at home and hang out with friends or be cared for by grandparents. As a result, the chance of contamination increases, while they were able to play safely at camp. ”

Easter camps

The decision also has a serious impact on the organization of the Easter camps. “We just can’t get this overloaded anymore, two weeks before the start of the Easter holidays. Bubbles of 10 demand more monitoring, we need to arrange more plumbing. And what about gymnastics and kindergarten camps, for example? Surely we can’t leave those children outside all day in rain or cold temperatures? On Monday we will make a final decision, but it seems that we will have to cancel all our camps ”, it continues.

The organization does emphasize that parents can then send their children to the camp later this year or that they can receive a voucher that can be used until the end of next year. Should the organization still fail, they will be reimbursed the amount of the camp.

Youth movements disappointed

The youth movements in our country are also disappointed that the government is pushing the pause button for the outer plan. “This is a new shock of disappointment for members and management, who were just looking forward to more after the recent hopeful messages,” said Jan Van Reusel of Scouts en Gidsen Vlaanderen. “The reduction from 25 to 10 participants requires yet another rescaling of the organization.”

Chirojeugd Vlaanderen also reacts disappointed and denounces that the decision-making comes late. “As a result, many groups may have to stop working, because in recent months it has already become apparent that it was difficult for many youth movements on an organizational level,” says spokesman Niels De Ceulaer.

Understanding

The youth movements do understand the measures and emphasize that it is not up to them to doubt the expertise of experts and virologists. “If the current evolution calls for a review of the measures, we will be fully committed to it,” says Van Reusel. Scouts en Gidsen Vlaanderen is furthermore satisfied that the youth movements are nevertheless given the confidence to offer activities within the set context.

The most important thing for the youth movements now is to offer perspective on the summer, in which the larger camps are on the program. “We really count on being able to participate as a sector, because this is not an end point. Work will be needed for the coming months, the clock is ticking. We must already dare to start thinking about the summer in order to offer the children, who are undoubtedly disappointed now, a prospect ”, concludes Van Reusel.

Flemish Youth Council: “Dark day for children and young people”

“This is a dark day for children, young people and their organizations,” said the Flemish Youth Council on Friday, after the Consultation Committee had decided to again limit youth activities during the Easter holidays to a maximum of ten children. “The consequences of this will be incalculable, with these measures hardly anyone can organize activities anymore,” said Vice-President Franka Foré, who regrets that the youth workers have not been listened to in recent weeks.

In recent weeks, the youth sector has been preparing for youth activities and will be facing 25 participants during the Easter holidays. In addition, in overnight camps, children had to undergo a rapid test twice, at the start and end of the camp. On Friday, however, the Consultation Committee decided to limit youth activities to a maximum of 10 children, outside as much as possible. Overnight stays are also prohibited.

The Flemish Youth Council is deeply disappointed and complains that the expertise of the youth organizations has not been listened to in recent weeks. “We waited and postponed for weeks, hoping for a workable, feasible scenario. This plan is not feasible. A blow for children and young people and the entire youth sector, after one full year of constructive consultation and preparation, ”said Franka Foré, vice-chairman and youth work advisor of the Flemish Youth Council.

According to the organization, it has already become clear in recent months that organizing activities in groups of 10 and completely outside is unfeasible. “The strictest rules were then packaged as temporary measures, and as always responsibly followed by those thousands of youth workers and volunteers. We all agreed that the spring break would be the last holiday that children and young people would be so restricted in their freedom. And look now, this Easter holiday there will be even less possible ”, it sounds.

The Youth Council therefore calls this Friday “a dark day for children, young people and their organizations”. She finds the “chaos” set in motion by the Consultation Committee irresponsible. The sector is therefore asking for the expertise of the youth work field to be deployed in the coming months, so that the summer of 2021 will be at least as good as last year’s. “Let us fight together for a powerful summer. Listen to us. Work with us. This will not happen again ”, the Flemish Youth Council concludes.

Employer organizations

The employers’ organizations hope that the announced reopening agenda and the planned return moments after the Easter holidays will not be jeopardized. That is why they call for strict compliance with the corona measures, and in particular teleworking. Still, there is also relief that most businesses and stores can remain open at this time.

The figures do not allow for the announced easing to take place. For example, the amusement parks will not be able to open on April 1 and the cultural sector cannot organize outdoor activities. The employers’ organizations speak of a tough job for the companies involved, but are relieved that companies and shops are not being closed again.

Voka, Unizo, VBO and NSZ therefore hope that the reopening agenda for the affected sectors, such as amusement parks, culture, events, tourism and catering, will not be further delayed. They also hope that the moments of return for teleworkers after the Easter holidays will not be jeopardized. That is why they call for strict compliance with hygiene measures. A new lockdown would be catastrophic for our economy and society, it sounds. There must also be a continued focus on teleworking.

FEB is concerned that companies will be confronted with a high rate of absenteeism due to an increase in the number of sick employees and due to the quarantine and isolation obligations.

The NSZ specifically asks to keep a close eye on schools, where many infections are currently taking place, and to close them if necessary. “Self-employed people are clearly not the cause of these infections and should therefore not be the victim of it”, it sounds.

The employers’ organizations also argue for an acceleration of the vaccination campaign. Only in this way is it possible to get out of the crisis and on the road to a rapid economic recovery. Finally, Voka asks to also use rapid tests in companies and is looking forward to the initiatives that the federal government announced on Friday.

TrainTramBus: “Vaag”

Public transport is not a source of contamination and travelers comply well with the mouth mask obligation, Train Tram Bus responds to the measures taken by the Consultation Committee. Moreover, the regulation that passengers on trains to tourist destinations are only allowed to sit by the window is “very vague and open to discussion”, says chairman Stefan Stynen.

The Consultation Committee took measures on Friday to prevent the spread of the virus on the train. Specifically, only window seats can be used on trains to and from tourist attractions, and that from April 3, except on school days, Mobility Minister George Gilkinet reports. Children under 12 are allowed to sit next to the adults accompanying them.

All this arouses astonishment at the Trein Tram Bus travelers’ association. “We are still surprised about the decision to only sit at the window. We understand that people want to do crowd control, but so far research at home and abroad has shown that public transport is absolutely not a major source of distribution, ”says Stefan Stynen. “Everyone already has to travel with a mouth mask and we see that this obligation is being complied with quite well.”

The chairman also asked himself questions about the development of the regulation on tourist destinations. “What is a tourist destination? That is very vague. A train to Genk also stops in Bokrijk, for example. Is everyone on the train between Ghent and Brussels, because it comes from that direction, then also on the way to a tourist destination? “

Although Stynen also acknowledges that the governments are probably targeting the trains towards the coast. “But this remains very vague and open to discussion.” Also, you don’t necessarily achieve the best spread of passengers by putting everyone at the window, he concludes.

Amusement parks require extra support

Several amusement parks are asking extra support from the authorities now that their reopening on April 1 is being postponed. That is what the CEO of Plopsa Group, Steve Vanden Kerkhof, says on Friday after the decision of the Consultation Committee. The amusement parks have meanwhile incurred a lot of costs to prepare for the reopening on April 1 and therefore want extra support.

“We are disappointed and angry,” says Plopsa CEO Steve Vanden Kerkhof after the Consultation Committee. It was then decided that the planned reopening of the theme parks on April 1 will be postponed. A line through the bill for amusement parks, because they were already preparing for that reopening.

“We have made preparations worth hundreds of thousands of euros in recent weeks. I have put my people back to work. We have done our best to prepare the park coronaproof. We have even made sure that as many things as possible, such as all the queues, can run outside. Now everything appears to have been in vain, ”says Vanden Kerkhof.

The amusement parks therefore want extra support from the government. “Both we and our colleagues have invested in this, because we thought the reopening was before April 1. The least that can happen is to make up for that lost money to some extent. ”

The Plopsa CEO again criticizes the lack of communication from the government. “We have to read again in the media what exactly has been decided. Nobody calls us with an explanation. In the meantime, no new reopening date has been set and we no longer have any prospects. That is a very difficult message to convey to staff. ”

On Monday, Vanden Kerkhof wants to request extra support from Flemish Minister of Economy Hilde Crevits (CD&V).

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