The police have powers to intervene whenever people on the street aren't observing the one-meter-fifty social distance limit. Fines will be given to anyone who doesn't stick to the rules. Meetings are prohibited and stores cannot allow in too many customers at the same time.

But for the education sector what is the situation? In principle the measures were due to stay in place until April 6th; will that deadline now become June 1st? Yesterday the cabinet did not yet have an answer to this question. RIVM will issue its advice on the matter before April 6th. Similarly, TU/e's last corona update, published on the afternoon of Friday March 20th, reports that TU/e will release a statement before April 6th. But that was before the press conference held by Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus of Justice and Security yesterday evening.

All this leaves universities and universities of applied sciences scratching their heads: what does this mean? Could students and lecturers be allowed to come together in person after April 6th while this is prohibited outside of education? The websites have not yet been updated. Almost everywhere the old date is still being given, including on the website of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

Distance

There are some exceptions. Radboud University Nijmegen immediately updated its information. Other institutions, such as Maastricht University and Leiden University, had already entertained the notion that education would be delivered remotely until the end of the current academic year.

Whatever happens next, the new measures are already impacting all kinds of gatherings, such as PhD ceremonies. They must either take place entirely online or be postponed. It is up to individual universities to decide how best to respond, says universities' association VSNU.

And, of course, the same applies to meetings that universities of applied sciences had scheduled. From leaving drinks to inaugural speeches, everything is now uncertain. The universities of applied sciences will this week discuss how the new date affects them, says their federation.

This morning the twelve board presidents of the Dutch universities discussed the matter online with  each other and with VSNU president Pieter Duisenberg. In all probability a joint statement will be issued this evening.