Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Tuesday extended measures to block the Netherlands for at least a month, saying stricter restrictions were needed due to the new COVID-19 variants.
Continuous lock restrictions include a daily restriction at 21:00 and restrictions on business and public space occupancy levels, along with closures for places such as indoor entertainment venues, retail outlets, restaurants, bars and cafes.
The extended blockade, which will continue until at least March 2, comes as concerns rise over the first-identified coronavirus variant in England, which officials believe is more transmissible.
Although the positive COVID-19 rates in the Netherlands fell by 20% last week to 28,628 new infections, two-thirds of Dutch cases are attributed to the new variants, the Associated Press reports.
“The number of new positive cases a day is declining and the pressure on hospitals is gradually diminishing. But new variants of the virus are gaining ground rapidly in the Netherlands. This is a cause for concern, as these new variants are more infectious and can cause a new wave. infections, “the Dutch government said in a statement.
Rutte said this week that “all the calculations indicate a third wave that seems to be inevitably affecting us, the main cause of which is the British version of the coronavirus,” the AP reported.
After hearing the new data and recommendations of the country’s public health institute, Rutte said that the continuation of the blocking measure “almost entirely until March 2 is inevitable.”
The Institute of Public Health considered the decrease in new cases to be the result of strict measures and warned against easing policies amid new variations.
While the Netherlands is worried about the new variant identified in the UK, the British are facing concerns about a variant from South Africa. The PA reports that in some communities, home-to-home tests are being conducted to stop the spread.
The Netherlands has been in a tighter blockade since mid-December and imposed coverage more than a week ago. The country has recently seen several clashes between police and anti-blockade protesters.