The Netherlands are closing down – at least to a limited extent. Prime Minister Mark Rutte announces a partial lockdown due to the drastically increasing corona numbers.
The Hague – In view of the rapidly increasing numbers of infections and patients, the Netherlands is the first country in Western Europe to pull the Corona emergency brake. A partial lockdown will apply in the next three weeks. “These interventions are drastic and will affect everyone,” said Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Friday evening (November 12th, 2021) in The Hague. He spoke of a “hard blow for a few weeks”.
Restaurants and supermarkets have to close at 8 p.m. from Saturday (13.11.2021), other shops even at 6 p.m. – this also applies to the area of prostitution. The 1.5 meter distance rule is being reintroduced, people should work in the home office again if possible and only receive a maximum of four guests at home every day. Sports competitions must be held without an audience. This also applies to football matches, such as the Netherlands’s World Cup qualifier against Norway on Tuesday (November 16, 2021) in Rotterdam.
Corona partial lockdown in the Netherlands: schools remain open
The schools should remain open, and there should also be no corona exit restrictions. “Fortunately, the vast majority are vaccinated, otherwise the misery in the hospitals would be immeasurable,” emphasized Rutte.
The limited package is intended to reduce contacts and thus slow down new corona infections, Rutte justified the measures. “The pressure on the health system is extremely high at the moment.” The experts advising the government on the pandemic also urgently advised a lockdown. “The virus is everywhere, across the country, in all areas.”
After the three-week period of the hard Corona cuts has expired, the government is planning to introduce a 2G rule for leisure facilities and restaurants: Then only those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered will be allowed to stay there.
Partial lockdown in the Netherlands despite high corona vaccination rate
The government had been discussing the new corona measures since Thursday (11.11.2021). Cinemas and theaters are excluded from the shutdown. Guests just have to prove – as before – that they have been vaccinated, tested or recovered. The caretaker government wants to extend this 3G rule to businesses and possibly jobs as well. In addition, the 2G rule is to be introduced for some areas – possibly for pubs and festivals.
It wasn’t until the end of September that the country relaxed most of the rules. But the corona situation worsened. And that despite a high level of vaccination: around 82 percent of citizens are fully vaccinated.
Health Minister Hugo de Jonge appealed to those who remained unvaccinated to get vaccinated. “The risk of being hospitalized is 17 times higher if you are not vaccinated. And the risk of ending up in hospital after infection is 33 times higher, ”said Rutte’s deputy. It is unjust that people are also affected by harsh corona measures who “have taken their responsibility by getting vaccinated”.
Corona incidence in the Netherlands well over 500
The first tightening took place ten days ago. The mask requirement was again extended to public spaces such as shops. But many people didn’t obey the rules. And enforcement in pubs, for example, was also little controlled. The number of new corona infections and patients rose quickly.
On Thursday (November 11th, 2021), 16,364 new infections were registered – the highest value in the pandemic to date. The 7-day incidence is well over 500 – about twice as high as in Germany. The situation, especially in intensive care units, is so precarious that hospitals are already warning of the emergency. By Friday morning (November 12th, 2021) 259 new corona patients had been registered within 24 hours. That’s the highest number since May 15th. 1755 people are now being treated for Covid-19 in the hospitals.
Resistance to a limited corona lockdown is great. The entrepreneurs, sports associations and innkeepers reacted indignantly. The catering association warned that innkeepers would not obey the rules. “The limit has been reached. Entrepreneurs are angry, ”said the chairman of the restaurant association, Robèr Willemsen. (tvd / dpa / AFP)
