AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The Dutch government announced on Tuesday that it is easing restrictions on COVID-19 and will introduce a “crown” pass that demonstrates vaccination to go to bars, restaurants, clubs or cultural events.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte said most social distancing requirements will be withdrawn from September 25. The movement reflects advertisements from other European countries.
Rutte said at a news conference that he understood the emotional toll most people had suffered.
“That’s why I’m glad we can announce today that we can undo social distancing as an obligation everywhere starting Saturday, Sept. 25,” Rutte said, adding that it remains prudent for people to keep their distance. .
The remaining measures will be a mask requirement for public transport and schools, and a recommendation for people to work from home when possible.
The crown pass will be mandatory for people aged 13 and over who can access places such as restaurants, bars, cinemas, museums, concerts and festivals both indoors and outdoors.
Rutte explained that scientists on the team managing the Dutch outbreak believed the pass was necessary to avoid high-risk situations.
“It means that in some places you will be able to show that you have been vaccinated or that you have had a crown and that you are immune to it, or that you have been negative in the last 24 hours,” he said.
More than 70% of the Dutch population, or 12.6 million people, have received at least one vaccine against COVID-19, while 65% are fully vaccinated, according to official data.
The government’s health advisory council said on Tuesday that there was no need to make a third shot known as a booster for the general population, because vaccinations were still effective.
New infections have dropped to about 2,000 a day in the Netherlands, while approximately 450 patients with COVID-19 are receiving treatment at the hospital.
(Report by Anthony Deutsch and Bart Meijer in Amsterdam; Edited by Bernadette Baum and Matthew Lewis)