The Dutch government has ordered a partial blockade amid the rise of COVID | Coronavirus pandemic News

The prime minister says the government wants to “deal a severe blow to the virus” as the number of COVID-19 cases rises in the Netherlands.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has announced a three-week partial blockade amid numerous cases of COVID-19 in the Netherlands, saying his government wants to “deal a severe blow to the virus”.

The blockade, which begins on Saturday night, is the first to begin in Western Europe since a new wave of infection began to grow in some parts of the continent.

Under the blockade, bars, restaurants and supermarkets will have to close at 20:00 (19:00 GMT), professional sports matches will be played in empty stadiums and people are being called to work from home as much as possible. Stores selling non-essential products will have to close at 6 p.m.

“We have a very unpleasant message tonight with very unpleasant and wide-ranging decisions,” Rutt said on Friday.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday about the deteriorating situation in Europe, Dr Michael Ryan, head of emergencies at the World Health Organization (WHO), said: “The truth is that some countries are in such a difficult situation now, it’s hard not to put restrictive measures in place at least to reduce the intensity of the transmission. ‘

Rutt also said that social distance is returning. Masks are already promised, including in stores and on public transportation.

Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said the government is working on legislation to reduce access to people who can prove they are fully vaccinated in some “high-risk” places and events or have been cured of COVID-19, and to allow people who don’t. he gave a negative. Austria and some parts of Germany already have similar restrictions.

News of a possible move ahead of the announcement sparked outrage on Friday morning among bar owners and sports administrators.

The Dutch football federation and the two major professional leagues issued a statement expressing “great displeasure” over the expected blockade and saying that football stadiums – which are subject to strict COVID measures – are not the main sources of infection.

“This seems like political poverty,” organizations said, and government officials “no longer know what to do.”

Rutt confirmed that the World Cup qualifiers for the Netherlands and Norway will be played behind closed doors in Rotterdam on Tuesday.

An organization representing bar and restaurant owners also condemned the new restrictions.

On Thursday, the country’s public health institute recorded 16,364 new positive tests in 24 hours – the highest number in a pandemic that has killed more than 18,600 people in the Netherlands.

The country, where nearly 85 percent of adults are fully vaccinated, ended the blockade restrictions by the end of September.