Prime Minister Mark Rutte said today that this is inevitable at the time of the fifth wave of the Covid-19 and Omicron variants. The measure will be valid during the Christmas holidays and will last until January 14.
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“The Netherlands is closing again. This is inevitable due to the fifth wave coming with the omikron variant, “the prime minister told a news conference after the government meeting.
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The closure means that only shops selling the necessary goods will be in operation. Restaurants, hairdressers, museums and gyms will remain closed. Classes in all schools will be suspended until 9 January.
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The government further advised households to accept a maximum of two guests and to limit outdoor meetings to two people.
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Failure to do so would, according to Rutte, lead to an “unmanageable situation in hospitals.”
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The Dutch media reported during the day that the government is considering the introduction of strict closures. In many cities, therefore, queues formed at shops because people tried at the last minute to buy goods that were not sold in supermarkets. Many customers in Leiden have described themselves standing in line at several shops, such as luxury cosmetics. Both the cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam informed during the day that the shopping streets were crowded and urged residents not to go to the center.
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Rutte has previously announced that omicron will be the predominant option in the Netherlands by January. According to experts, the omicron will be dominant in the capital Amsterdam before Christmas.
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The country fears flooding hospitals
The Dutch Institute of Public Health reported over 15,400 new infections in 24 hours on Friday. This is 25 percent less than a week earlier, but still a much higher figure than in the previous wave. Today, the office reported over 14,600 newly detected coronavirus infections.
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Dutch hospitals are already postponing routine care due to the influx of patients with covid-19, and there are fears of overcrowding in medical facilities. Experts estimate that if the situation did not respond, up to 600 people would have to be hospitalized daily and 100 to 125 of them would need to be placed in an intensive care unit.
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In the Netherlands of 17 million people, the disease has been confirmed in almost three million people since the epidemic began, with more than 20,000 patients dying from covid-19. 75 percent of citizens have completed the vaccination, but only 1.5 million have been vaccinated with the third dose.
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According to The Times, plans to introduce a two-week post-Christmas lockdown are also being prepared in the United Kingdom. This could lead to a ban on meeting the public indoors, except for business matters; restaurants and pubs could only serve customers in the gardens.
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