Netherlands institutes nighttime curfew amid rising Covid-19 cases

Published on : 11/26/2021 – 9:29 PMModified : 11/26/2021 – 9:34 PM

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced on Friday, November 26, the closure as of Sunday of bars, restaurants and most shops from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m.

This measure comes as part of a tightening of restrictions in the Netherlands which, like their European neighbors, is recording a sharp acceleration in Covid-19 contamination.

Mark Rutte, who was speaking on television, also ordered the compulsory wearing of the mask in secondary schools from Monday.

“The numbers of daily infections are high, very high, very very high,” said the head of government. “This means that we can’t get away with just a few simple adjustments.”

The number of patients hospitalized with coronavirus in the Netherlands has reached record levels since the start of May, and experts warn hospitals could reach full capacity in just over a week if the virus progresses is not braked.

Several Covid-19 patients were transferred to German hospitals this week.

With Reuters