Monday 14 December 2020
Hard lockdown is imminent
"Netherlands close for five weeks"
Due to the continued increase in new corona infections in the Netherlands, the government has now decided on a tough lockdown. It starts tomorrow and is valid for the next five weeks. Schools follow suit on Wednesday.
In the fight against the rising number of corona infections, the Dutch government has decided on a tough lockdown. "The Netherlands are closing for five weeks," said Prime Minister Mark Rutte in a televised address that evening. For the first time since the outbreak of the corona pandemic, shops – except for daily needs – have to close. The country is also reacting to the tough shutdown in neighboring Germany. Many municipalities feared that after the strict measures in their country, Germans could go to Christmas shopping across the border from Wednesday.
From Tuesday onwards, all shops that do not sell groceries or other everyday goods must close. From Wednesday the schools will also be closed. Rutte called on the Dutch to stay at home if possible and to meet no more than two people a day. Museums, zoos, cinemas and gyms must also close.
Rutte emphasized that it was an extremely tough message "especially before Christmas". "But we have no choice," emphasized the right-wing liberal prime minister. The situation is very serious, hospitals can hardly withstand the pressure. "But we will make it," he affirmed. "We are not dealing with a simple flu," said Rutte to the critics of the strict Corona measures.
The number of new infections has risen sharply since mid-November. Most recently, around 8,500 cases were reported in 24 hours. That was less than the day before with around 10,000 reports. But the numbers on Mondays are in most cases significantly lower than on other days.
It was only the premier's second TV address. In the background, chants and whistles from a few dozen demonstrators could be heard in front of the prime minister's headquarters. A partial lockdown has been in effect in the Netherlands since around mid-October. Private contacts were restricted and restaurants were closed. However, this did not lead to a permanent decrease in infections.
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