Ny fanakatonana COVID-19 vaovao any Netherland dia ho voalohany any Eoropa Andrefana hatramin'ny fahavaratra

• Dutch government is advised to impose new two-week nationwide COVID-19 lockdown.
• The government of the Netherlands will make a decision on a new nationwide lockdown tomorrow.
• Netherlands sees a surge in new COVID-19 cases with many hospitals overwhelmed by the number of patients.

Ny Netherlands could be the first country in Western Europe to impose nationwide lockdown restrictions since the summer of 2021, as the number of new COVID-19 cases spikes in the country.

National pandemic advisory panel, Dutch Outbreak Management Team (OMT), has advised the Dutch government to impose a two-week partial lockdown.

According to local news sources, caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s cabinet is expected to take a decision on the advice on Friday.

The steps reportedly under consideration don’t include closing schools, but would involve cancelling events, as well as closing theatres and cinemas. Cafes and restaurants would also be told to restrict their opening hours.  

Following the proposed two-week lockdown, entrance to public places would be limited to people with a vaccination QR code or those who have recently recovered from the virus. 

News of the panel’s advice comes as the Pays-Bas sees a spike in COVID-19 cases, with many hospitals overwhelmed by the volume of patients. October’s data showed that 70% of those in intensive care were unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated. The median age of unvaccinated people in hospital was just 59, compared to 77 years for vaccinated patients. 

Dutch officials have already reintroduced masks and expanded the list of venues that require a COVID-19 pass to gain access. 

More than 84% of over-18s across the Pays-Bas have been given two shots against the virus, according to government data.