Dutch Head For Partial Lockdown Afer Covid Record

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is set on Friday to announce Western Europe's first "partial lockdown" of the winter, with three weeks of Covid restrictions on catering, non-essential shops and sport

The Hague, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Nov, 2021 ) :Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is set on Friday to announce Western Europe's first "partial lockdown" of the winter, with three weeks of Covid restrictions on catering, non-essential shops and sport.

The measures, reported by local media ahead of a press conference at 1800 GMT, come after coronavirus cases in the Netherlands soared above 16,000 a day to hit record levels.

Bars, restaurants, cafes and non-essential shops will have to close at 7:00 pm, while people will again be advised to work from home, and people will be limited to having four visitors at home, public broadcaster NOS said.

Public events will be scrapped while football matches including the Netherlands' home World Cup qualifier with Norway next week must be played behind closed doors, they said.

Schools will however reportedly remain open, and people will be allowed to leave their homes without restrictions.

Cases have soared since the Dutch government lifted most Covid measures less than two months ago on September 25, and hospitals have warned that they will soon be unable to cope.

Rutte and Health Minister Hugo de Jonge will hold a press conference to announce the curbs, with broadcaster RTL reporting that the cabinet was describing it as a "partial lockdown" to "quickly reduce cases".

The government is also reportedly set to limit the "Covid pass" for catering and entertainment after the three-week period, so that it can only be used by people who are vaccinated or have recovered from Covid, and not by people who just have a negative test.