New health restrictions in the Netherlands due to increasing cases

The Netherlands has announced it will reintroduce health restrictions against Kovit-19 in the country as the number of cases causing delta variation increases.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Friday announced a series of measures to combat corona virus pollution in his country, including the closure of nightclubs.

Infections have increased sevenfold in a week in the Netherlands, with 7,000 new cases identified on Friday, Mark Rutte said, forcing the government to relax health restrictions.

“A black cloud before the sun”

“There is a dark cloud in front of the sun. At this time, pollution rates are erupting, mainly due to the highly contagious delta,” he told a news conference. “If we do not do something, the pollution rate will increase. It is clear that the rapid spread of the virus must be stopped.”

So the government has decided to order the closure of all nightclubs and restaurants at midnight. The Prime Minister said all customers of restaurants and cafes should observe a distance of 1.5 meters.

Events that last more than 24 hours have been suspended, Mark Rutte said. These measures will take effect on Saturday at 6 am (GMT at 4 am) and will last at least until August 13.

500 to 7000 cases daily in a week

“Two weeks ago, all signals were green,” said Health Minister Hugo de Jong. “But there is a reason to intervene today. It is the result of the rapid spread of delta diversity in Europe and the Netherlands.”

“This is unprecedented. Last week, we had about 500 new cases a day. Today, there are 7,000 new infections,” mainly young people, he said.

These new health measures do not impose restraining or curfew orders or wearing masks indoors as they were a few months ago. Mark Rutte, however, called on the people to “respect the basic rules – social exclusion and hand washing”. “If we do this, we can have an even more exciting summer,” he said.

More than 1.7 million corona viruses and 17,700 deaths have been reported in the country, which has a population of 17 million. About 80% of people have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 50% have two, the health minister said.