The Netherlands decrees the closure of non-essential activities to stop coronavirus infections

Prime Minister of Netherlands announced on Friday that sanitary restrictions will be strengthened to stop a rebound in covid-19 cases, with the closure of bars, restaurants and businesses considered “non-essential”At 5:00 p.m.

“Starting on Sunday, in principle, everything will be closed between 5:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. in Netherlands”, Except for shops considered essential, Prime Minister Mark Rutte declared at a press conference in The Hague, where a few dozen protesters gathered.

Schools will remain open despite the sharp increase in infections affecting children.

“You have to be realistic, the daily figures are getting higher and higher”, declared Rutte.

The authorities of Netherlands registered 21,350 new infections on Friday, slightly less than the average of 22,258 cases found in the last seven days.

“Less than half of the people with symptoms are tested, that shows that the message is not getting through enough and I take the blame”, added.

The people gathered in front of the ministries, in The Hague, during the press conference of Rutte they carried megaphones and whistles, an AFP journalist found.

Several police vans were guarding the scene, fearing that further disturbances would break out, after several days of tensions across the country.

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