New legislation covering coronavirus should include the option to bring back coronavirus entry passes, employers’ organisations have said in a reaction to the draft law, RTL Nieuws has reported.

The new legislation, which is being incorporated into public health law, will give national government the power to limit constitutional rights should there be a surge in new cases. This could include enforcing social distancing, test and quarantine requirements and compulsory face masks – but not the use of entry passes.

However, the coronavirus pass should be there as a ‘last resort’ to ensure companies can remain open if the virus flares up again, the VNO-NCW and small firms association MKB-Nederland say.

Use of the QR code pass, which enabled users to show if they had been vaccinated, tested negative or had recently had coronavirus, ended in February.

A large and vociferous minority of the population had campaigned against the uses of passes since their inception and the option had also become politically unpopular.

‘We would rather that the pass does not have to be used, but if companies would have to close without it, then it could be a last resort,’ a spokesman told the broadcaster.

Companies, the organisations said, would do all they could to make sure their operations were safe and responsible for customers, and the pass can help in this, they said.

Mayors

On Monday it emerged that mayors, local health boards and legal experts are highly criticial of the government’s plan to enshrine temporary legislation to manage coronavirus into permanent law.

The legislation will not contribute to a ‘robust’ system to combat the pandemic but is likely to create confusion because it is not clear about the responsibilities and powers of both mayors and safety board chiefs, critics told Trouw.