Running over the heads during Christmas shopping isn't really wise right now, but the border towns are getting ready for Christmas shopping. Now that a hard lockdown is a fact in the Netherlands, we have to wait for a massive influx of Dutch people. It is not illogical that the shopping streets have been busy in recent days, on the last Saturday before Christmas. And on Sunday we might do that again, because then it is shopping Sunday in many places.
After an extra corona press conference by the cabinet, an average of almost 6,9 million viewers in the Netherlands saw how the country was locked. That was more than the 5,2 million viewers of the previous press conference last Tuesday. The registration on NPO 1 was seen by just over 4 million people. This made it the most watched program of the day. On RTL 4, more than 2,1 million people saw how Prime Minister Mark Rutte, corona minister Hugo de Jonge and OMT chairman Jaap van Dissel announced new measures and explained this. 6 people watched SBS656.000.
fun shopping
Last year around this time, the rules were stricter. In addition to a mouth mask obligation in the shops, it is allowed again in Belgium. Rules like last year such as "no fun shopping" and "come alone" are not on the agenda. In the border towns, there may be an extra concern now that all Dutch people, where a hard lockdown applies until January 14, come shopping, now that the government has decided to close all non-essential shops until mid-January. Especially now that only 35% of Dutch people support the decision of the cabinet. This emerged from a survey after the press conference held by the Dutch channel SBS6.
Yet the mayor of Turnhout has become a bit more pragmatic. “If they cross the border: so be it, if they follow the rules applicable in our country.” Van Ranst finds the possible crowds worrying. The Eindhoven catering industry is resigned to the new closure, 'at least it offers clarity for everyone'.
“But whether you come from Mol, Herentals or Tilburg: it makes no difference. When it gets busy, it's up to us to manage that."
prepared
According to the Gazet van Antwerpen, the city is therefore prepared. “At the start of the holiday season, we made agreements to deploy dynamic signs and stewards on the busy shopping streets, so that everyone remembers to wear the mouth mask. And in the catering industry it makes little difference: there are only so many places, and you can only sit with six at the table. Whether there is a Dutch person or a Fleming, it will not be full. The capacity is what it is," said the cabinet of Mayor Bart De Wever (N-VA).
