Will Winter be killed in Antwerp for the second year in a row? “We can still organize it, but new crisis meeting at the end of this week” | Antwerp

Sugar Mizzy November 21, 2021

AntwerpThe city of Antwerp will hold crisis consultations about Winter in Antwerp at the end of this week. For the time being, that festival with, among other things, the Christmas market, the skating rink and the end-of-year fireworks will continue. “But of course we have to change the situation a lot and we have to change,” said the cabinet of Mayor Bart De Wever (N-VA).

The city of Ghent decided on Saturday to gelatinize its Winter Festivities because the number of infections is rising rapidly. Antwerp does not go that far yet. “The federal measures were discussed in the local crisis meeting on Friday,” said De Wevers, Johan Vermant said.

Evaluation

“According to the new plans of the winter in Antwerp, changes may still arise in the situation soon. That’s why we have to meet again next week for an evaluation, when there is more clarity about how the curve and what supra-local measures can be expected.”

“Obviously, we mainly want to ensure that our commercial partners, such as the exhibitors, do not become the victims of future changes,” concludes Vermant.

Winter in Antwerp should normally start on Saturday 4 December and last until Sunday 9 JanuaryI.

The municipal crisis meeting includes the mayor, his safety advisers, the police and the fire brigade and the event coordinator.

NSZ hopes for a solution

Nico Volckeryck, regional director of Greater Antwerp at the National Syndicate for the Self-Employed (NSZ), sees the storm coming. “I hope a solution will be found. If the winter festival falls again, it will be another heavy blow for the catering industry and traders. For anyone who has adhered to the measures for so long, that is yet another slap in the face.”

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Last night going out without a mouth mask in Antwerp: good atmosphere, but also headaches. “Last year I made a loss of 150,000 euros. This is not going to help.”