new health restrictions in the Netherlands after soaring number of cases

A turn of the sanitary screw in the Nederlands. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced Tuesday, November 2 a series of measures to counter a surge in the number of Covid-19 contaminations. Those new restrictions will take effect on Saturday. Wearing a mask will in particular become compulsory again in closed public establishments such as shops.

The government has also reintroduced the one-and-a-half-meter social distancing rule and the requirement to present the health pass will be extended to places like museums and restaurant terraces, said Mark Rutte during a press conference in The Hague. The Prime Minister also advises his fellow citizens to favor teleworking and to avoid using transport during rush hour.

The Netherlands recorded an average of 7,711 new cases per day last week. A figure up 39% compared to the previous week, health authorities announced on Tuesday. “It will not surprise anyone that we have a difficult message tonight. The number of infections and hospital admissions is increasing rapidly.”, argued Mark Rutte. The Netherlands, which has 17 million inhabitants, has recorded 18,441 deaths from Covid-19. Almost 84% of all people aged 18 and over are fully immunized.