The government is still working on what the holiday will look like and whether we will know which countries this concerns next week. The cabinet has decided to move what was still on September 1 in the road map to July 1. These are primarily the gyms and saunas, which are also the sports canteens and club canteens, and they are also the casinos. However, there are a number of preconditions. 

In the first place, that for the gyms and the saunas, the OMT, the Outbreak Management Team, has given strict advice and instructions on what must be done to actually open safely. So that's an absolute boundary condition for gyms and saunas to open.

holiday no security

Holidays remain complicated, because in all European countries you see that countries are struggling with the question: how do we deal with those holidays? Rutte indicates that he cannot yet say with certainty that we will know that next week, but hopes to be able to tell more about it next week. In the first place when it comes to going on holiday in the Netherlands, the request to people who can postpone that holiday because they are not dependent on the holiday period is to do so. So if you are not bound by those school holidays and you could say let's go on holiday later in August or September, do so. 

during that holiday period we adhere to all rules

We stay in mobile home or hotel room when we complain, then we don't go out, we stick to one and a half meter, we avoid crowds, we wash our hands and we sneeze in our elbows and we use tissue paper. So all those rules of conduct also apply during the holiday period. 

“We must ensure that traveling in the Netherlands does not lead to more risks with regard to the spread of the virus, which is very important. We also discussed a second starting point, for the holidays abroad. As far as we are concerned, this will only be possible if it concerns countries where the risks are comparable to those in the Netherlands, ”says Rutte.

What you do not want is that traveling abroad increases the risks of introducing the virus and spreading the virus in the Netherlands. The second applies, even if you go abroad, that you naturally also comply with all sensible agreements that we have made with each other. Well in one country it may be one meter or two meters or one and a half meters, so you can find out exactly in that country, but you keep your distance. You avoid crowds. You also wash your hands there. 

But the government is still working on how that will look exactly and whether we will know which countries this concerns next week. That is really complex, because you see all over Europe that all countries are struggling with that question and that it is not yet certain to say that we can answer it next week.

Also read: Slovakia, of course, looks forward to opening its borders