The statements of care minister Ernst Kuipers about carnival have led to great confusion in Brabant and Limburg. After an initial euphoria after the minister’s letter to parliament on Thursday evening that a lot is possible with carnival, Kuipers put that letter into perspective again on Friday.
Spokespersons for carnival domes in Limburg and Brabant were unpleasantly surprised by the nuance that Kuipers applied on Friday. “The initial euphoria gave way to indignation and confusion,” said Rob van de Laar of the Brabant Carnival Federation.
“I can’t say yet what will happen at the end of this month,” said Kuipers. According to him, it is conceivable that large gatherings in cafes or at events will be made possible if everyone has been tested, but then this should prove to be practically feasible. “The capacity is ultimately limited.”
Unfeasible, say Van de Laar and his colleague Bart Maes of the Samenwirkende Limburgse Vastelaovesvereniginge SLV in a response. “If 20,000 people will soon be standing in front of a test street, will that not be a source of contamination?” Maes wonders. “What will the test capacity be like, where are the test streets and who will do that?” adds Van de Laar. “That capacity is not there. I hope they solve this before Tuesday. The genie is now out of the bottle, you can’t get it back in.”
Enforcement
“In Maastricht, on Carnival Sunday, 40,000 people are on the street. How do you get them tested in 20 minutes?”, asks chairman John Paulus of Koninklijke Horeca Nederland in Maastricht. “There is no demarcated event area anywhere. Then you would have to designate the entire city center of Maastricht as such. Who is going to enforce that?” Paulus and Van de Laar point out that all carnival events such as parades have been cancelled. Remains partying on the street and in the pub.
“Sounds nice what Kuipers calls, but not feasible”, concludes Paulus. Maes is also not pleased with a statement by the minister, who suggests that corona started during carnival two years ago. “And then a statement from the minister: we know where it all started. Yes, we know that, not in Limburg, but in China!”
A spokesperson for Kuipers denies to Omroep Brabant that Kuipers has said that he sees carnival as a major event for which a 1G policy applies. Kuipers has pointed out the massive nature of a popular festival such as carnival, but it has not yet been decided what measures are necessary to ensure that everything runs smoothly. The cabinet has yet to make a decision on this, and that decision depends, among other things, on the advice of the Outbreak Management Team.
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