Organisation determined to have all participants perform in Rotterdam

Photo: Rotterdam Ahoy – https://www.ahoy.nl/

Earlier today it was released that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Dutch organizing broadcasters NPO, NOS and AVROTROS have published an extensive Covid-19 Health and Safety Protocol for the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. Everyone accredited to the event (those working on or competing) will have to live up to this protocol, creating the base for a Eurovision Song Contest where every artist can perform in Rotterdam Ahoy.

“The spirit and tradition of the Eurovision Song Contest is about uniting Europe on one stage and we are very much still determined to achieve this in Rotterdam in May”, says Executive Supervisor Martin Österdahl.

The most important measures in the protocol are:

Everyone must keep 1,5 metres distance with one another
All those attending the Eurovision Song Contest from abroad are recommended to go into quarantine for 5 days before departure to the Netherlands and they must test negative for COVID-19 at most 72 hours before they fly.
Delegations have to stay in their hotel. They can only go outside the hotel for programme related activities, such as rehearsals and ofcourse the live shows.
Everyone working in the Ahoy Arena, like crew, artists and press, will be tested regularly in a special testing facility next to the arena.
Face masks are mandatory, except for, amongst others, the live performances.

As earlier released, for every performance, a backup recording will be made in the respective home country before the contest. In the case an artist is unable to perform live, due to a positive Covid-19 test, this backup recording will be aired during the live show.

The decision on whether a scaled down live audience will be able to be attending the live shows and on what public activities can take place around the event will be made later in the coming months.

Wouter Huele

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