The Netherlands studies total confinement and closure of non-essential activity

The Dutch Government meets this Saturday urgently to decide on the recommendations of its team of advisers, which asks to immediately introduce a harsh confinement in Netherlands, with the total closure of schools and all non-essential activity, due to the advancement of the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

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The Pandemic Advisory Committee (UNWTO) has proposed to the Dutch Executive a series of urgent measures, especially a strict confinement whereby only essential stores such as supermarkets, pharmacies or gas stations, as well as minimum services, will remain open of some professions.

This will replace the current “night lockdown”, which only means the closure of non-essential activity from 5:00 p.m. local time (4:00 p.m. GMT), which includes shops and restaurants, but also cinemas, theaters, gyms or museums, which puts an end to any social alternative after work is done, but keeps it on the weekends.

This system is already proving insufficient given the advance of the omicron variant, which is expected to be the dominant one in Amsterdam next week, since the analysis of positive PCRs showed that its presence multiplies every two days.

A strict confinement would also include the closure of all schools and other educational institutions, although the Dutch Government had already ordered the closure of Primary schools from next week, thus advancing the closure for holidays by several days, precisely due to the high number of infections in that age group.

Acting Health Minister Hugo de Jonge and Prime Minister Mark Rutte will meet in emergency throughout this Saturday with different parties, including the rest of the government, to decide whether to adopt the UNWTO recommendations, which it is expected to occur.

The announcement of the restrictions that will finally be adopted could be made throughout the weekend, including at a press conference this Saturday, given the urgency with which the OMT wants the measures to come into force, to avoid last minute purchases causing crowds in city centers.

Virologist Marion Koopmans, a member of the OMT, assured public television that it is “important” that these additional measures take effect as soon as possible to limit the expected impact of the spread of omicron until there is “more clarity” on to what extent the variant is or is not more pathogenic.

In addition, he added that the research shows that vaccines work much less to prevent the spread of the virus and also “it is seen that the antibodies produced against the omicron variant are clearly lower”, but he expressed his hope that they do have an effect on the hospital admissions, especially after the booster dose.

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Deshawn