Dutch nightclubs vow to reopen despite COVID-19 concerns
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LA HAYE, Netherlands — Dutch nightclubs said Wednesday they will throw open their doors 10 days from now despite government restrictions and rising infection rates.
The Netherlands last week lifted some of Europe’s toughest Covid restrictions, allowing bars, restaurants and museums to reopen.
But these venues must shut down at 10 pm — the time many nightclubs are opening.
“On Saturday, 12 February nightclubs are opening their doors in protest,” said the Nachtbelang nightclub umbrella organization, which is associated with the Royal Dutch Hospitality Organisation.
“Not just for one night, but for every night,” it said in an announcement posted on Instagram.
“We have been closed for the past two years and that’s very painful,” a nightclub owner told the ANP news agency.
“With this action, we want to show that we can reopen doors in a safe way,” he said.
The announcement comes as hospital admissions from coronavirus infections continued to rise on Wednesday, with the highest level recorded for a month.
Some 1,493 patients were currently in hospital with the average number of admissions rising to above 150 per day since January 2.
The number of Covid patients however in intensive care continued to drop, but the decline was slowing down, according to figures by the National Institute for Public Health.
The Netherlands also continued to record infection numbers, with some 67,045 positive tests recorded on Wednesday.
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