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This week a five-week quarantine will take effect in the Netherlands in an attempt to curb the spread of Covid-19, the strictest measures the country has taken since the start of the pandemic, Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced today.
“The Netherlands will be closed for five weeks,” Rutte said in a televised speech from government headquarters in The Hague, where protesters had gathered. Voices and whistles were heard during Rutte’s sermon.
“We understand the seriousness of our decisions, just before Christmas.” “We are not facing a simple flu, as the people behind us believe,” he said, referring to the protesters. Rutte advised Dutch citizens to stay home and receive a maximum of two people a day, adding that the measures would last until January 19.
An exception is provided for three days around Christmas, when three adult guests will be allowed. “The fewer contacts we have the better. We must do everything we can to be in a better position.” And yes, the situation will improve, “said Mark Rutte.
All non-essential stores, with the exception of supermarkets, grocery stores and pharmacies, will be closed starting tomorrow Tuesday, while schools will be closed starting Wednesday. “Museums, cinemas, theaters and gyms, as well as zoos, will also be closed,” he said.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte during the announcement of the new measures, 12/14/2020 (NRA)
The announcement came at a time when the number of infections is increasing significantly in the country and the death toll has passed the 10,000 mark. The location chosen for today’s speech is important, as the country’s prime minister’s office is often used for the most important announcements. Since the start of the health crisis, most of the measures have been announced in a simple press conference room.
The announced measures are the strictest since the start of the pandemic. In March, the Netherlands had implemented a quarantine that provided for closed schools but open stores.
With information from ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ / AFP / Reuters
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