Netherlands extends public events ban to August 31st

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  • "One of my employees sort of accidentally ticked the 'pandemic' box on the insurance form," DGTL tells the NYT. "We're getting roughly 70 percent of our $2.3 million investment back."
  • Netherlands extends public events ban to August 31st image
  • The Netherlands has extended its ban on public events due to the coronavirus pandemic until August 31st. The Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte announced the date change in a press conference Tuesday, the New York Times reports. The ban was previously set for June 1st on March 24th. The extension follows suit with other European countries like Denmark, which also now banned large-scale public gatherings through August 31st. Germany's ban on clubs, theaters and cultural sites is in place until July 31st, according to B.Z. Berlin. Events with 5,000 people or more are banned until October 24th. Tom Veldhuis, cofounder of Apenkooi Events which runs DGTL, told the New York Times the financial toll cancelling the Amsterdam festival over Easter weekend could have taken if it were not for an administrative "accident." "When we renewed our insurance policies, one of my employees sort of accidentally ticked the 'pandemic' box on the insurance form. We're getting roughly 70 percent of our $2.3 million investment back. Otherwise it would have been quite a blow." DGTL hosted a virtual festival the same weekend the original event was set to take place. The New York Times also spoke to Dutch DJ and producer Joris Voorn. "I'm pretty sure I won’t be doing any gigs this year," he said. "No. 1: I fly around the world. No. 2: I play in front of tens of thousands of people. Unless there is a miracle, I don't think these two things will be possible anywhere this year and perhaps not next year." Earlier this month, experts and officials in America said that it's unlikely large public gatherings, like concerts, sports and conferences, will return before autumn 2021. Photo credit: Jordy Brada This posted has been updated to reflect an amendment in the New York Times' quote from Tom Veldhuis regarding DGTL's insurance sum and Germany's new ban dates.
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