Thank you all for your patience and support while our staff have been adapting to the new normal of working from home over the past week.
Following government requests earlier this month, we felt that closing the Academy until 6 April 2020 was the best decision to help limit the impact of the novel Coronavirus COVID-19 and keep our community safe.
On 23 March, the Dutch government announced it was introducing stricter measures to control the spread of the coronavirus, banning various forms of gathering. Since then, it has clarified new rules for gatherings and events (see below for more information). However, there has not been a clear update from the government about what this means for schools, colleges and universities.
Our plan is to follow the national guidelines for education, which we expect to be updated on 31 March. Several schools in The Netherlands have already decided to remain closed until 1 June and we believe it’s likely that this will be the new date issued by the government. We don’t know if the rules will be relaxed during this extended period.
We know this is particularly unsettling for graduates and students who are coming to the end of their studies, for whom this should be a busy and focused few months. DAE’s staff, coordinators, heads and tutors have been working together to find solutions to the delay to exams and we hope to be able to offer more clarity soon.
The Executive Board is monitoring the situation closely and we will update you on Tuesday 31 March. The Executive Board will share more detailed information about future education and the final exams.
Contact the workshops
In the meantime, our workshop staff would like all students to know that they can be contacted on their new Facebook page. They are available for all your questions.
More information
If you have questions that are not covered by this update or want to know who to contact for more information, please see our Q&A on the DAE website. We will keep this updated as the situation evolves. Please also read the new rules for meetings and events below.
All of our previous updates remain available to read on our website. Please make sure you have read Update #2, which outlines our responsibility as a school and symptoms to look out for if you are unwell.
The new rules for meetings and events
1. Events with a licensing and reporting requirement will be prohibited until 1 June 2020.
All other meetings will be prohibited, with a few exceptions:
a. Statutory meetings (maximum 100 persons), such as meetings of the Municipal Council and the States General;
b. Meetings necessary for the continuation of the daily work of institutions, companies and other organisations (up to 100 persons);
c. funerals and weddings (max 30 persons);
d. Meetings of a religious or philosophical nature (up to 30 people).
These gatherings may only take place if all hygiene measures to combat the Coronavirus are observed and if it is possible to keep a distance of 1.5 metres from each other.
2. Casinos, amusement arcades and similar establishments will be closed.
3. The exercise of all forms of contact professions is prohibited, as long as it is not possible to keep a distance of 1.5 metres from the customer. This includes masseurs, hairdressers, nail stylists, escort services and driving instructors. An exception is made for the treatment of (para)medical professions, provided there is an individual medical indication for this and the practitioner can comply with all hygiene requirements.
4. If the hygiene measures in force and the 1.5 metre distance are not or not sufficiently observed, shops and markets must be closed and public transport must be terminated.
5. Locations such as holiday parks, camping sites, parks, nature reserves and beaches shall be closed if the applicable hygiene measures and the 1.5 metre distance are not or not sufficiently observed at these locations or if there is a risk of this happening.
6. Group formation (accidental or otherwise) in public spaces is prohibited. The Cabinet defines a group as three or more persons who do not keep a distance of 1.5 metres. There is no question of group formation if it concerns persons who form a joint household. There is also no question of group formation if children up to and including 12 years of age play together under the supervision of one or more parents or guardians. Provided that the parents and/or guardians keep a distance of 1.5 metres between them.
The letter to the Safety Council states that measures 2 and 3 must be included in an emergency ordinance. Measures 4 to 7 must be included in the emergency ordinance in such a way that enforcement becomes possible if necessary.
Measures 2 to 6 will be reconsidered no later than 6 April 2020.