The cabinet is immediately relaxing the advice to work from home. That will be: ‘work a maximum of half of the working time in the office’. The advice not to receive more than four guests a day at home also expires immediately.
Step one
From Friday 18 February, the mandatory closing time for the catering and cultural sector will be extended to 1 am. Moreover, at locations with fewer than 500 visitors, people no longer have to wear a mouth cap, keep a distance of one and a half meters, and fixed seats are no longer mandatory. This applies, for example, to many catering businesses, but also to smaller theaters and cinemas.
For events with more than 500 people, a permanent seat and a mouth cap remain mandatory. This applies, for example, to football stadiums, which can therefore be full again under certain conditions.
The cabinet is also working on the isolation duration for infected persons. They are allowed to go outside again five days after their infection, provided they are free of symptoms for 24 hours. Previously it was seven days.
Step two
A week later, on Friday 25 February, the cabinet wants to continue with relaxation. From then on, the normal opening hours for the catering and culture sector will apply again, and there will be no maximum number of visitors. Keeping one and a half meters away is also no longer necessary, according to the cabinet. From that day on, a mouth cap will only be mandatory in public transport and at airports.
For events of up to 500 visitors, the corona pass and the obligation to arrange a fixed seat will also be cancelled. The same goes for larger events outside. That means nightclubs can open again and festivals can continue.
A 1G policy will apply to indoor locations with more than 500 visitors: all guests must show at the door that they have recently tested negative. This does not apply to transfer locations, such as trade fairs and conferences.
The last measures
This means that after 25 February, there will in fact only be three measures left: the obligation to face masks in public transport and at airports, testing for access at major events indoors, and the advice to work from home. The cabinet will assess on 15 March whether these measures are still necessary.
Finally, the government wants to abolish travel restrictions. The corona situation in a country is therefore no longer decisive for the travel advice of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This should make traveling outside Europe possible again in the short term. As of February 25, the quarantine obligation will also expire upon return to the Netherlands.