The Netherlands will introduce partial quarantine and close all bars, cafes and restaurants to stop the spread of the coronavirus, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rite said on Tuesday.
“We will introduce partial quarantine,” Rite told a news conference, outlining the new restrictions, which will take effect on Wednesday. “It’s painful, but it’s the only way. We have to be tougher.”
Rite has also made it compulsory to wear face masks indoors for people over the age of 13.
In order to reduce social contacts, the sale of alcohol will also be banned after 8 pm.
The Dutch authorities recorded a record 7393 infections in the last 24 hours on Wednesday, with 43,903 infections and 150 deaths in the last week.
The Netherlands has had the third highest number of infections per 100,000 population in Europe in the last 14 days, followed by the Czech Republic and Belgium.
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