IBC: Announcement on possible further measures due next Tuesday
NOVEMBER 23, 2021 14.26 EUROPE/LONDON BY JULIAN CLOVER

Dutch opposition parties are calling for the caretaker government to further increase measures by banning unvaccinated people from bars and restaurants, or by closing all non-essential shops and other venues as the Netherlands continues to battle a new wave of Covid.

The existing three-week partial lockdown has already lead to 145 arrests following protests in Rotterdam, The Hague and Breda.

Any decision on whether to further tighten the rules or, as seems likely, simply to extend the December 3 end-date is unlikely to come before Tuesday of next week (30 November).

As it stands, IBC2021 plans to go ahead between December 3 and December 6 as planned, creating its own Covid-secure bubble around the RAI exhibition centre, and shortening its opening hours.

Meanwhile, the list of companies that have decided not to participate continues to grow. Early departures including Metrological and Irdeto, have been joined by TiVo, Teleste, Imagine, Norwia, DVB, Synamedia and Broadpeak, amongst others. A number of companies have expressed their disappointment at not being able to attend in person, but will be joining IBC’s online initiative, IBC Digital.