Reuters begins “painful” Christmas coronavirus blockade in the Netherlands

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The streets of the Netherlands have been closed and the country was embroiled in a Christmas rally as the country began a blockade on Sunday with the aim of curbing the expected rise in COVID-19 caused by the rise of the Omicron variant.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced the sudden closure on Saturday evening, and ordered all essential shops, including restaurants, hairdressers, gyms, museums and other public places, to be closed from Sunday to January 14th at least.

The news came as a surprise to many Dutch people as Christmas and New Year approached. A lot of people went on Saturday to provide gifts and food and cut their hair at the last minute.

Hospitality workers demanded compensation for lost income during the holiday season, and gym owners stressed the importance of exercising during a health crisis.

“Closing all bars and restaurants in such an important month is incredibly painful and dramatic. We need compensation and an exit strategy,” said the Dutch hospitality services association.

All schools will be closed a week earlier on Monday for the Christmas break and will be closed until at least January 9, homes are advised not to receive more than two visitors and outside gatherings are also limited to a maximum of two.

Coronavirus infections in the Netherlands have dropped to record levels in recent weeks after a night-time blockade was imposed late last month. But cases of the Omicron variant have risen rapidly since early December and tensions are expected to prevail before the end of the year.

This will be a major problem for hospitals, which have been discontinuing regular care for weeks because they are trying to avoid going to bed due to the high number of COVID-19 patients.

The government said on Saturday it would speed up the administration of revitalization vaccines after the start of the campaign, and now aims to provide additional firing to all those over the age of 60 before the end of the month.

Although more than 85% of the Dutch adult population is vaccinated, less than 9% of adults have had a booster so far, one of the lowest rates in Europe.