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In view of the dramatic increase in the number of infections, the Netherlands has imposed the toughest blockade to date on its country. The strict measures will take effect from midnight and should last until January 19, Prime Minister Mark Rutte (53) announced in a televised speech on Monday night. “The Netherlands will be isolated for five weeks,” he says. For the first time since the outbreak of the corona pandemic, stores, except for daily necessities, must close.
The country is also reacting to the harsh closure of neighboring Germany. Many municipalities feared that after the strict measures in their country, the Germans could go Christmas shopping on the other side of the border from Wednesday.
“We have no choice”
As of Monday night, cinemas, theaters and museums will have to close, as well as hairdressers, gyms and swimming pools. Citizens can only meet two other people per day. There can be three guests at Christmas. Schools and nurseries will also be closed starting Wednesday. We strongly recommend not traveling abroad until mid-March.
Rutte emphasized that it was an extremely harsh message, especially before Christmas. “But we have no other option,” emphasized the right-wing liberal prime minister. The situation is very serious, hospitals can hardly bear the pressure. “But we will do it,” he said.
Chants and whistles
The number of new infections has risen sharply since mid-November. More recently, around 8,500 cases were reported in 24 hours. That was less than the day before with around 10,000 reports. But the figures for Monday are in most cases significantly lower than on other days. In Germany, with about five times more inhabitants, around 16,000 new infections were recorded on Monday.
It was only the prime minister’s second television speech. Chants and whistles could be heard in the background from a few dozen protesters outside the prime minister’s headquarters. A partial lockdown has been in effect in the Netherlands since mid-October. Private contacts were restricted and restaurants were closed. However, this did not lead to a permanent decrease in infections. (SDA / bra)
