Covid 19 coronavirus: explosion hits Covid testing center in the Netherlands

A test center in the Netherlands was hit by an explosion in what police believe may be a targeted attack.

The explosion occurred shortly before 7 a.m. near the health service testing center in the city of Bovenkarspel, north of Amsterdam.

Police are investigating whether the attack, which smashed the building’s windows, was deliberate.

“Something like this doesn’t happen by accident,” police spokesman Menno Hartenberg told the media.

Broadcaster NOS reported that a metal pipe exploded outside the center, but that has yet to be confirmed.

This is not the first time that a Covid-19 testing center has been the target of an attack.

In January, a testing center caught fire in the Dutch village of Urk when protests broke out over the start of a night curfew in the Netherlands intended to curb the virus.

The nation’s blockade has continued to draw the ire of residents, sparking violent unrest across the country.

The Netherlands has more than 1 million Covid-19 cases and more than 15,600 deaths.

In an attempt to curb the number of coronavirus cases, the government introduced a national curfew in January, which has been extended until March 15.

Last week, a Dutch court upheld a government appeal against a lower court order to remove a controversial coronavirus curfew, saying the cabinet had not exceeded its mandate.

The ruling against the case brought by the skeptical group Covid Virus Truth has limited impact as parliament has already passed a law to support the curfew instituted on January 23.