- Title: Tourists disappointed as Amsterdam closes museums amid virus outbreak
- Date: 13th March 2020
- Summary: AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS (MARCH 13, 2020) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF RIJKSMUSEUM TOURISTS FROM SINGAPORE, YAN KAI AND EUNICE LIM, WALKING INTO RIJKSMUSEUM CORRIDOR VARIOUS OF KAI AND LIM IN CORRIDOR (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURISTS FROM SINGAPORE, YAN KAI AND EUNICE LIM (21), SAYING: LIM: "(We are) definitely quite sad." KAI: "It is a bit disappointing." LIM: "But you can do nothing much about it." KAI AND LIM STANDING IN FRONT OF RIJKSMUSEUM ENTRANCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURISTS FROM SINGAPORE, YAN KAI AND EUNICE LIM (21), SAYING: LIM: "We are kind of stranded here now." KAI: "But I think it's necessary to prevent a spread, even if it's not that serious in the Netherlands, relative to other European countries. It's good." VARIOUS OF MAN STANDING IN FRONT OF STEDELIJK MUSEUM TOURIST FROM HAMBURG, GERMANY, JOCHEN RAPP, WALKING TOWARDS CITY MUSEUM RAPP PHOTOGRAPHING SIGN READING (Dutch and English): "STEDELIJK MUSEUM TEMPORARILY CLOSED. IN LINE WITH NATIONAL POLICY RELATING TO THE CORONAVIRUS, THE STEDELIJK MUSEUM AMSTERDAM WILL BE TEMPORARILY CLOSED FOR VISITORS UNTIL MARCH 31, 2020." (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURIST FROM HAMBURG, GERMANY, JOCHEN RAPP, SAYING: "Actually on our day of departure, in the night before, they locked down entire Italy, not only the north. So we just decided on very short notice to change here and took a train to Amsterdam just to get a few days out of the city - which now seems not very smart." VARIOUS OF RAPP PHOTOGRAPHING CITY MUSEUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURIST FROM HAMBURG, GERMANY, JOCHEN RAPP, SAYING: "Many things, like the museums here, are closed now anyway, so it doesn't make sense to try to visit even more things. Everything was awfully quiet anyway. We just hope to get a safe trip back to Hamburg." EXTERIOR OF STEDELIJK MUSEUM VARIOUS OF BOAT ON AMSTERDAM CANAL
- Embargoed: 27th March 2020 16:07
- Keywords: Amsterdam Dutch Capital Epidemic Holland Netherlands Pandemic Rijksmuseum Stedelijk Museum Tourism Visitors closed museums coronavirus
- Location: AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
- City: AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
- Country: Netherlands
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C4W037R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Tourists were disappointed as they found out that several Dutch tourist attractions, like the Rijksmuseum national gallery and Stedelijk Museum, were closed to the public on Friday (March 13) as a government ban on gatherings of more than 100 people took effect in response to the coronavirus epidemic.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte explained in a televised address on Thursday (March 12) the rare measure, which will also trigger the cancellation of soccer matches, concerts and university lectures across the country of 17 million people.
The measures will remain in place until March 31. However, schools, nursery schools and universities will remain open for now, Rutte said, as closing them would do more harm than good.
He said the government's strategy is aimed at minimising disruptions to public life while reducing the risks for the most vulnerable.
The government advised elderly people to avoid crowds and public transport. Universities were told to hold large classes online when possible, and medical staff were instructed not to travel abroad.
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