The Netherlands will be subject to a heavy blockade of COVID from Sunday Coronavirus pandemic News

All non-essential stores must be closed by January 14th and gatherings are limited to two people.

The Netherlands will introduce a tough blockade on Sunday morning to curb the dreaded rise in COVID-19 as a result of the Omicron variant, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said.

Rutt said at a news conference on Saturday that all non-essential shops, restaurants, bars, cinemas, museums and theaters must be closed by January 14 and that schools must be closed by January 9.

Only shops that are considered essential, such as supermarkets and pharmacies, are exempt.

Similarly, the number of guests coming into the house is being reduced from four to two, except on Christmas Day.

Outdoor gatherings are also limited to a maximum of two people.

“I’m in a gloomy mood here tonight,” Rutt said. “The Netherlands will return to closure from tomorrow. It is inevitable with the fifth wave and Omicron spreading even faster than we thought. Now we need to intervene as a precaution.”

Rutte said the ad is based on a partial blockade that is already in place, which calls for bars, restaurants and other public gatherings, such as cinemas and theaters, to close at 5 p.m.

Failure to act now would likely lead to “unmanageable conditions” in hospitals, and they have already reduced their regular care to make room for COVID-19 patients, Rutt said.

Dutch press chief Jaap van Dissel told a news conference that the Omicron variant would overcome the Delta strain by dominating the Netherlands by the end of the year.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday that it is a variant of Omicron spreading significantly faster In countries with documented community transmission rather than Delta strain, the number of cases has doubled in 1.5 or three days.

A highly mutated variant is spreading rapidly in countries with high levels of population immunity, the WHO said, but it is unclear whether the virus has the ability to prevent immunity, its inherent transmissibility, or a combination of both.