The curfew is to stay until at least March 15
By Thomas Ansell
Dutch PM Mark Rutte and Minister Hugo de Jonge held a press conference last night to outline changes to Coronavirus regulations in the Netherlands from the start of March. Middle schools will be allowed to open with children being able to attend one day a week at minimum. MBO colleges will also be able to open one day per week. All changes in the regulations will take effect from March 3.
Luckily for all of us looking a little scruffy of late, hairdressers, beauty salons, and massage centres will also be allowed to re-open. Driving schools can give lessons again, but sex workers will not be allowed to receive clients again, reports the DvhN.
Shoppers can go into ‘non-essential’ stores on an appointment-based, private shopping system. No more than six people per hour will be allowed in any one shop, with both very small and very large shops to have slight changes to their maximum person limits.
Young people up to the age of 27 can play sports in groups outside again, too, although not in any competitive manner, and only within their own team.
Mark Rutte said that even this slight easing to the Coronavirus regulations could spell disaster: “the crisis is far from over. If the numbers go through the roof again, we will bring all options for sharpening the rules up back onto the table.”
Curfew
Both the curfew (21:00-04:30) and the ‘one-person per day’ regulation will remain until at least March 15. A further press conference will occur on March 8, says Rutte, to announce whether any further curfew extension is needed. If the outgoing Rutte cabinet decides to extend the curfew to cover the Dutch elections on March 15, there will be a one-day change to the rules, with people also allowed out after 21:00 to vote.
According to Rutte, about one quarter of people that have tested positive for the Coronavirus won’t quarantine themselves, and there are also regular ocurrances of groups of people breaking other rules.
Vaccinations
Minister De Jonge said that by the first days of Autumn everyone in the Netherlands will have received a Coronavirus vaccination. De Jonge also predicted that once everyone has been vaccinated, it is likely that yearly Coronavirus jabs will have to be offered (like with the seasonal flu at the moment).
All information is available at the Dutch government’s website.
