The Hawk, Netherlands (AP) – Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Monday imposed a strict five-week nationwide lockout, saying schools, essential shops, museums and gyms will remain closed until midnight on January 19.
“We have to bite through this sour apple before things get better,” he said in a televised speech to a Rutte nation.
Speaking from his office in Rutte Hague, he was able to hear protesters whistling outside.
“The truth is, this is not an innocent flu, some people – like outsiders – think,” Rutte said. “But a virus that strikes everyone hard.”
From Tuesday, all non-essential stores will be closed until January 19, with businesses such as hair salons, museums and theaters. All schools and universities must switch to distance learning from Wednesday. Childcare centers will be closed to all except the children of key workers.
The government urged people to receive a maximum of two guests over the age of 13 a day, but relaxed the rule slightly on December 24-26, saying that usually three people can visit on festive days.
“As a cabinet we realize how serious and drastic the actions we are taking today are,” Rutte said. “Especially very close to Christmas.”
With the news of Rutte’s speech already locked out, many people eager to get their last chance at Christmas shopping gathered in the city centers.
Lines were created Monday afternoon in shops, museums and coffee shops selling pots.
“Customers line up in the corner,” said Bart van der Waal at a tweet gamer’s coffee shop in a narrow alley near Amsterdam’s famous canals. “Everyone thinks coffee shops will close tomorrow.
Van der Waal said he hoped the coffee shops would be allowed to take off because “otherwise people would walk down the street.”
Bars and restaurants have been closed since mid-October, although many restaurants, cafes and coffeeshops have offered takeout sales. Partial locking initially reduced high infection rates, but they have been on the rise again in recent days.
The 7-day rollout average of daily new cases in the Netherlands has risen from 29.22 per 100,000 cases on November 29 in the last 29 weeks to 47.47 per 100,000 on December 13.
“It simply came to our notice then. This is very serious, ”said Health Minister Hugo de Jong before a cabinet meeting on Monday to discuss measures to prevent the spread of the virus. “We are seeing a sharp rise in the number of infections in recent days. We are seeing an increase in hospital admissions again. The pressure on the health sector is high.”
Rutte’s speech came on Monday evening, a day after neighboring Germany announced it Similar corona virus controls in an effort to reduce its stubbornly high infection rates. Those activities go even better in January.
Earlier on Monday, British Health Secretary Matt Hong Kong announced that London and surrounding areas would be placed under the highest levels of corona virus control since Wednesday.
Under Tier 3 restrictions, the difficult situation in the UK three tier system is that people cannot socialize interiors and bars, and pubs and restaurants have to close to avoid leaving.
It has been confirmed that about 10,000 people have died due to COVID-19 in the Netherlands since the eruption began.
When vaccinations begin in the new year, 2021 will be “a year of light at the end of the tunnel of hope,” Rutte said.
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