Friday 29 May: REGIONAL NEWS UPDATES for The Hague and surroundings (source: regional broadcaster Omroep West)

A new mayor has been chosen for The Hague! Read more about this and our corona-related news in today’s summary.

Here is a summary of the news:

NEW MAYOR FOR THE HAGUE: JAN VAN ZANEN

The Hague municipal council has announced the selection of Jan van Zanen, currently mayor of Utrecht, to be the next mayor of The Hague. Mr van Zanen is a member of the centre-right VVD party and an experienced politician. He has been mayor of Utrecht since 2014 and before that was mayor of Amstelveen. His nomination has been very well received by representatives of the different political parties in The Hague. He has been called a people person with the right balance of amiability and firmness, who has proven that he can deal efficiently with tough situations. It is hoped he will be able to bring some resolution to the political unrest in the city.

Following the official appointment by the King, Mr. Van Zanen will be sworn in on 1 July. The city has had an interim mayor, Johan Remkes, since the previous mayor, Pauline Krikke, resigned in October 2019.

SPORTS CLUBS AND CASINOS MAY REOPEN SOONER

Gyms, saunas and casinos may be allowed to open their doors on 1 July, but only if this is deemed reasonable nearer the time, according to PM Mark Rutte. The reopening, which includes sports clubs catering facilities, will depend on a green light from the Outbreak Management Team and will be subject to strict social distancing measures. Nonetheless, the news has been enthusiastically received by owners of these facilities.

FEWER DEATHS THIS WEEK RELATIVE TO PREVIOUS YEARS

The number of deaths in The Netherlands has been lower for the past two weeks, in comparison with the same period in previous years. This year there have been about 50 deaths per week fewer than average. It is not unusual for there to be a dip after there has been a peak in deaths, as was the case at the height of the corona crisis, according to the Statistics Bureau, CBS and the RIVM. The researchers stress that people are still dying from Covid-19. Official statistics say that there were 104 corona-deaths last week, but the real number is probably higher, as not all people who died were tested for the virus.

MUNICIPAL ARCHIVES CALLING FOR CORONA IMAGES

The mayors of Wassenaar and Voorschoten are asking people to send photos to illustrate the extraordinary time we are going through, for the municipal archives. According to Wassenaar mayor, Leendert de Lange, these images will show future generations how we are dealing with this novel situation that affects us all. The pictures bear witness to pain and grief as well as to creativity, solidarity and resilience. The organisers are looking for photos that show the influence of the coronavirus on daily life, both indoors and outdoors, including signs and information boards depicting acts of solidarity. Photos can be e-mailed to CoronaInbeeld@Wassenaar.nl

These news updates are brought to you by www.dutchbuzz.nl, in cooperation with The Hague’s official broadcaster, Omroep West.