Cases of COVID-19 are back on the rise in the Netherlands, and the Dutch government is reportedly considering another lockdown.
According to Reuters, the country confirmed a record 16,300 cases in 24 hours on Thursday, November 11. The surge began when social distancing requirements were eased back in September, and hospitals have been under great pressure to provide adequate care ever since.
A report from DutchNews.nl says that should the lockdown be imposed once again, “events will be cancelled and cinemas and theatres will close.” This would be a huge blow to the music community in the Netherlands, as events have only returned for a few weeks.
Last month, a condensed version of Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) took place in The Netherlands after bans on indoor events were lifted. The events at ADE were required to end by midnight, and they all required guests to present proof of vaccination, negative test results, or proof of recent recovery from COVID-19.
It is quite likely the surge is related to the return of events, but at this later stage in the pandemic, the citizens of The Netherlands are far less likely to willingly accommodate yet another period without being able to freely gather.
During the last lockdown, hundreds of events banded together to form a nationwide protest movement called “Unmute Us!” which demanded that bans on music festivals and large-scale gatherings be lifted.
