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THE HAGUE: Caretaker Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte introduced a three-week partial lockdown Friday amid surging COVID-19 instances within the Netherlands, saying his authorities desires to “ship a tough blow to the virus.”
The lockdown that begins Saturday evening is the primary to begin in Western Europe since a brand new wave of infections started surging throughout elements of the continent.
Below the lockdown, bars, eating places and supermarkets must shut at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT), skilled sports activities matches will likely be performed in empty stadiums and individuals are being urged to make money working from home as a lot as potential. Shops promoting non-essential objects must shut at 6 p.m.
“Tonight now we have a really disagreeable message with very disagreeable and far-reaching choices,” Rutte stated.
As Rutte spoke, police in The Hague stated they arrested a variety of individuals protesting in a close-by road for setting off fireworks.
The Netherlands is just not alone in taking measures to rein in hovering coronavirus infections.
Earlier Friday, Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg stated his nation will implement a lockdown for unvaccinated individuals in two hard-hit areas subsequent week and appears poised to maneuver ahead with related measures nationwide.
Beginning Monday, unvaccinated individuals within the areas of Higher Austria and Salzburg will solely be allowed to go away dwelling for particular essential causes, comparable to shopping for groceries or going to the physician.
In the meantime, Germany’s illness management middle is urging individuals to cancel or keep away from massive occasions and to scale back their contacts because the nation’s coronavirus an infection price hits a string of recent highs.
Talking in regards to the deteriorating state of affairs in Europe at a press convention earlier Friday, Dr. Michael Ryan, the World Well being Group head of emergencies, stated that “fairly frankly, some international locations are in such a tough state of affairs now that they’re going to seek out it arduous to not put in place restrictive measures, a minimum of for a brief time frame, to scale back the depth of transmission.”
Rutte additionally stated that social distancing is returning. Masks are already broadly mandated, together with in outlets and public transport.
Well being Minister Hugo de Jonge stated that the federal government can also be engaged on laws to limit entry in some “high-risk” areas and occasions to individuals who can exhibit they’re absolutely vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 — and never permit individuals who have examined adverse. Austria and elements of Germany have already got related restrictions in place.
Individually, the federal government introduced Friday that it could convey ahead the beginning of a marketing campaign to manage booster pictures of COVID-19 pictures to older residents and healthcare staff. The marketing campaign had been set to begin in December, however will now start on the finish of subsequent week.
Information of the potential transfer earlier than the announcement had prompted fury amongst bar house owners and sports activities directors earlier Friday.
The Dutch soccer federation and prime two skilled leagues issued a press release expressing “nice dismay” on the anticipated lockdown and insisting that soccer stadiums — which have strict COVID measures in place — are usually not a significant supply of infections.
“This seems like coverage poverty,” the organizations stated, including that authorities officers “not know what to do.”
Rutte confirmed {that a} World Cup soccer qualifier between the Netherlands and Norway on Tuesday in Rotterdam can be performed behind closed doorways.
A corporation representing bar and restaurant house owners additionally slammed the federal government.
“Hospitality companies are once more being introduced with the invoice for failing authorities coverage,” the group stated in a press release.
On Thursday the nation’s public well being institute recorded 16,364 new constructive assessments in 24 hours — the best variety of any time in the course of the pandemic that has killed greater than 18,600 individuals within the Netherlands.
The nation, the place almost 85% of adults are absolutely vaccinated, largely ended lockdown restrictions on the finish of September.
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