Despite the relaxing of COVID-19 regulations, the outdoor seating areas of the Cultuurcafé and sports café The Yard remain closed for the time being. The university wants to prevent too many people coming onto campus.

It was great news for those who love to sit and relax outside on café terraces. Following the relaxation of COVID-19 measures, the Nijmegen catering industry opened its outdoor seating areas last week. But there is no sign of this on campus. The chairs and benches of the Cultuurcafé and sports café The Yard remain empty for the moment.

‘This was a conscious decision’, says Rens Janssen, head of Food & Beverage of Radboud University. ‘Opening up sends out an attractive message and will draw people to the campus. As long as we remain in the current COVID-19 situation, we want to prevent this. The intention is that students and staff work and study from home, even though it’s great that from 10 May students will be allowed to come on campus again now and then for education.’

For the moment, Janssen is unable to say when both cafés will be able to open again. ‘As a university we are following developments closely. Any opening must be appropriate to the COVID-19 situation. The cafés will only open again when we consider it responsible to do so.’

Refter

In all probability things will change when the Refter opens, says Janssen. ‘We want to open it for lunch from 17 May. People will then be able to book a table, just like before the strict lockdown.’

At present, a number of catering facilities are already open for takeaway food and drink, such as the Refter and the restaurant in the Huygensgebouw.