According to reports on Dutch news website RTL Nieuws​ ​a document leaked to the news outlet from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate showed local R rates dropped when hospitality businesses were open and increased on their closure.

“The analysis states that several measures were taken on 14 October,” a translation of the news report reads, which continues: “The reproduction number (the r-value, the average number of people infected by someone with corona) was 1.08. After those measures, the r-value dropped to 0.82. But on November 13, the r-value appears to have risen to 1.04.”

A conclusion in the report suggested there was no correlation between an increase in coronavirus cases and the hospitality sector being open.

Hospitality cases very small​

“The influence of the catering industry on the r-number is very small and that the decrease and increase [in infections] since 14 October must be explained differently,” wrote RTL Nieuws​.

The report also went on to state that home visits between families and friends was a significant cause of infection rate increases, with some 20% of infections believed to come from homes.

Stats showed that during the Dutch general closure from 6 to 13 November 130 infections came from the catering industry, with 27% specific to restaurants.

However, in the same week 1,046 people had been infected after visiting family or friends in their homes.

More home visits​

As a result, closing the hospitality sector had led to more people visiting in each other’s homes and therefore coronavirus infection rates cannot be linked to one sector, but to “unsafe contact moments”.