Hugo de Jonge, outgoing minister of Health, Welfare and Sport, does not rule out that football fans can only enter a stadium next season with a negative test certificate or a vaccination against the corona virus. During the press conference of the cabinet, De Jonge said on Tuesday evening that access tests for ‘very large meetings’, including football matches, will still be necessary for the time being. He insinuated that this is the only way to fill the stadiums in the 2021/22 season.
“It is very difficult to estimate when that would be possible again,” said De Jonge about the prospect of organizing major events without negative test evidence or vaccination. “You want to save part of the festival summer and you definitely want us to be able to put the new season back in the stadium in large numbers. That is why we expect that access tests for those very large meetings will continue to be necessary for a while. There, too, the following applies: if it is no longer necessary, we will stop as soon as possible. It is very difficult to predict. You sit together with a lot of people. The degree of protection is never 100 percent, even if a great many people have been vaccinated. In the long run, the chance of becoming infected becomes very small and the chance of becoming very ill from it even smaller. “
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De Jonge reiterated his wish that people have to pay a personal contribution for a corona test, if it is intended to gain access to certain events or activities. That could be the case with football matches, he said. In the coming months, the cabinet hopes to reopen society with the help of test certificates. People can then, for example, go to museums, cinemas, restaurants or festivals with a negative test. In the first months, the government will bear the costs of this, but after 1 July people have to pay a contribution of 7.50 euros at major events such as festivals, is the idea of the cabinet. However, the House of Representatives is currently obstructive and does not want to know about a personal contribution for people.
De Jonge defended the idea on Tuesday evening. “Imagine that you only need access tests to be able to go to Ajax – Feyenoord or to Lowlands. Do we think it is realistic to ask the whole of the Netherlands to help pay for it – we don’t have a pot of money in The Hague – and therefore also people with a minimum income? Suppose we get to that phase – that you only need access tests for meetings of thousands of people – then I think I will ask the House again whether people are willing to pay 5 euros or 7.50. Is that so crazy? I do not think so. I think it makes a lot of sense ”, said De Jonge.
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