- Events are not permitted other than funerals, weekly markets selling groceries and professional sports matches with no spectators.
- The BBC’s Anna Holligan in The Hague said the announcement was being met with disbelief and dismay.
- France has imposed strict travel restrictions on those entering from the United Kingdom – the hardest-hit country in the region, with nearly 25,000 confirmed Omicron cases on Saturday.
Due to fears about the Omicron coronavirus strain, the Netherlands has declared a stringent lockdown over Christmas as reported by BBC.
Holidays
Non-essential shops, bars, gyms hairdressers and other public venues will be closed until at least mid-January. Two guests per household will be allowed – four over the holidays.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the measures were “unavoidable”.
Countries across Europe have been tightening restrictions as the heavily mutated variant spreads.
The new rules in the Netherlands – the strictest to have been announced over Omicron so far – come into force on Sunday.
“I stand here tonight in a sombre mood. And a lot of people watching will feel that way too,” Mr Rutte told a news conference on Saturday. “To sum it up in one sentence, the Netherlands will go back into lockdown from tomorrow.”
Strict rules
Under the new rules, people are being urged to stay at home as much as possible.
Strict limits will be placed on the number of people who can meet – a maximum of two guests aged 13 and over will be allowed in people’s homes, and four on 24-26 December and on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Events are not permitted other than funerals, weekly markets selling groceries and professional sports matches with no spectators.
Restaurants can continue to sell takeaway meals, and non-essential shops can offer click and collect services.
“I can now hear the whole of the Netherlands sighing.”
“It’s too busy, but I’m coming before the Christmas holidays to pick up gifts, it seems like a new lockdown is coming,” Ayman Massori told the AFP news agency.
Dominant variant
The Dutch National Institute for Public Health has reported more than 2.9m coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, and over 20,000 deaths.
Officials say it is expected to become the dominant variant by the New Year.
The head of the Dutch outbreak management team, Jaap van Dissel, said the new measures would “buy time”, allowing more people to get booster shots and for the healthcare system to prepare for a possible rise in infections.
Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said all adults would now get an invitation for a booster appointment by 7 January.
France, the Republic of Ireland and Germany have also announced measures designed to curb the infections.
Europe has already seen more than 89 million cases and 1.5 million Covid-related deaths, according to the latest EU figures.
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Source: BBC
