The curfew time-frame is likely to be from 20:30 to 04:30
Translated by Thomas Ansell
The Dutch government has decided to bring in a curfew across the country from Friday, reports the NOS. It was previously thought that the curfew would be in effect from 20:00 to 04:00, and there are still more discussions to be had this morning, say ‘Hague sources’.
PM Mark Rutte and Health Minister Hugo de Jonge will hold another press conference this lunch time. It is likely that aside from the curfew, the duo of doom will announce that people may only receive one person per day at home, and that the maximum number of people in a group outdoors will be lowered to two.
The Outbreak Management Team reportedly suggested to the Dutch government that it bring in a curfew from either 20:00 or 21:00 until around 05:00, saying that a curfew ‘could lead to an important and relevant extra lowering of the total number of people suffering from COVID-19 come February 9’. Indeed the OMT reportedly could not find a more effective restriction other than a full ‘stay at home order’.
According to the OMT, a curfew could reduce the ‘R-rate’ by between 8 and 13 percent. It sits now at about 0.98- meaning that every 100 infected people tend to infect another 98 people. The Dutch government may also decide to bring in further testing requirements for people coming to the Netherlands from ‘high risk’ areas, as well as a possible flight ban from the UK and South Africa.
Whilst it is not clear if the Dutch government (which is technically in ‘standby mode’ until March’s elections) could bring in the rules without support from a multitude of parties in the Dutch parliament. D66, the PvdA, and GroenLinks are all against a curfew, citing its crackdown on personal freedoms and also concerns about how it will actually be enforced. Geert Wilders’ PVV party of populists and dog-whistlers will vote against the measures.
