Dutch PM Mark Rutte and Health Minister Hugo de Jonge name British Coronavirus variant as reasoning for further strengthening of regulations
By Thomas Ansell
Mark Rutte gave a press conference today naming several new Coronavirus regulations, including a curfew, a flight shut-off for several countries (the UK, South Africa, and all countries in South America), and a lowering of the number of people allowed to visit at home. The PM said that the curfew would be from 20:30 to 05:30, until February 9. However, any curfew is subject to support from the Dutch parliament, and would take ‘a couple of days’ to implement.
Full information is available on the Dutch government’s website.
The curfew would mean that no-one would be allowed on the streets during the named hours, without a declaration form, which would be downloadable from the Dutch government website. Reasons for being outside in between the hours of 20:30 and 05:30 would include walking the dog, emergency care trips, home-care visits; and some work-related conditions that would require a signed employers declaration.
A travel ban will be enacted stopping flights to and from the UK, South Africa, and all countries in South America. All arrivals in the Netherlands will also now have to present a negative PCR test
The Dutch PM said that both he and many people have ‘Coronavirus tiredness’, but that the new regulations were necessary for lessening the risk posed by the new more infectious British variant of the Coronavirus.
With the curfew stopping people from going out in the evenings, all shops would also close at 20:30; with Rutte suggesting that people do their shopping in the morning. The PM also named home visits as a reason for the continued spread of the virus, bringing the number of people that may visit a house down to 1, and the number of house visits a day also limited to 1 (aside from carers).
