http://nltimes.nl/2020/12/14/netherlands-hard-lockdown-almost-everything-closed-til-january-19-report
Netherlands in for a hard lockdown; Almost everything closed til January
19: report
In his address to the nation on Monday evening, Prime Minister Mark
Rutte will announce a far-reaching lockdown, in which almost everything
will be closed until January 19, sources in The Hague told NOS. The
measures will take effect at midnight, to prevent a run on shops on Tuesday.
The closure affects all non-essential stores like clothing stores and
garden centers, contact professions like massage parlors and
physiotherapists, and schools. Schools must close their doors from
Wednesday and switch to online education, according to the broadcaster's
sources.
The government is taking these drastic measures in an attempt to reduce
the still sky-high number of daily coronavirus infections. On Sunday,
Jaap van Dissel of public health institute RIVM told the government that
the current pressure on intensive care units is alarming.
Last week Rutte said that the Christmas days will be "spared" from
tighter coronavirus restrictions. Whether this is still the case with
the RIVM reporting nearly 10 thousand new infections on Sunday, remains
to be seen.
According to NOS' sources, Rutte will urge Netherlands residents to stay
at home as much as possible and to not receive any guests. The setting
of a curfew was discussed, but decided against.
The leaders of the parliamentary parties were invited to the Ministry
of General Affairs, Prime Minister Mark Rutte's Ministry, at noon on
Monday, so that they can be informed of the measures the government was
planning.
"This also shows how extraordinary the situation is," political reporter
Xander van der Wulp said to the broadcaster.