The primary schools schools in Netherlands will close on December 20, a week after the Christmas break, while measures have been taken to stem the spread of coronavirus will be extended until January 14, due to Omicron mutation, announced the country’s prime minister on Tuesday night.
The rapid spread of the new variant, which is about 1% of the new cases in the country, “is a cause for concern” but also “a reason to be careful,” Mark Rutte said in a press conference.
He described the fact that for the second time, grandparents will not be able to hug their grandchildren under the Christmas tree as a painful necessity. “Obviously, this is not the joyful message we have been waiting for in anticipation of Christmas. But it is not surprising “and” we can not ignore them worrying signs of Omicron “, as he stressed.
For his part, Health Minister Hugo de Jongge said that by the end of January, all adults will be able to do booster dose of the vaccine to improve the level of immunization, as transmitted by ΑΠΕ ΜΠΕ, citing telegrams from Reuters and AFP.
According to the same sources, until January 14 will extended the other measures in force from 28 November:
- the closure of restaurants, bars, non-essential stores and other public spaces from 5 pm to 5 am the next day,
- the organization of sports games without spectators
- and encouraging those who can from home to work.
- Also, citizens can not receive more than four guests in their homes.
Epidemiological picture
Infections decreased, from record levels recorded, after imposing a partial, night lockdown, but remain in relatively high levels, around 85 per 100,000 inhabitants.
The number of patients across the country is also high and hospitals postponed non-emergency surgeries for weeks to free up beds in the intensive care unit.
Because infections remain high among young children, experts advised the government to close schools a week earlier.
In the Netherlands they have been recorded in total 2.9 million infections and 20,214 deaths by Covid-19.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
