Dutch govt extends COVID-19 restrictions

THE HAGUE - The Dutch government on Tuesday announced plans to lengthen most COVID-19 restrictions under the current lockdown until March, although the primary schools will be reopened on Feb. 8.

"A third wave seems inevitable on its way to us," Prime Minister Mark Rutte said during a press conference here.

Although the infection figures show a decline, the share of infections with the new variant first found in Britain is on the rise. "Therefore, it is inevitable to extend the current lockdown to March 2," he said.

As announced on Sunday, primary schools as well as daycare and special primary education will reopen on Feb. 8 after being closed since Dec. 16. Secondary education will remain closed at least until March.

Non-essential shops will also stay closed, but a minor change in the lockdown rules is that shops may open from Feb. 10 to collect orders outside the shop.

In its weekly update, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) earlier on Tuesday reported that the number of new confirmed COVID-19 infections in the country declined from 35,635 (Jan. 20-26) to 28,628 (Jan. 27 to Feb. 2).

"The decrease in reported figures is a result of the measures that were announced on Dec. 15, 2020," the RIVM stated. "Expectations are that the figures would have decreased even more without the new coronavirus variants that have arrived in the Netherlands."

"In summary, it can be stated that the situation would be moving in the right direction, without the more contagious variants," it said, adding that the fact two-thirds of all new infections currently involve the variant found in Britain "is disrupting the plans and measures can only be eased with the utmost caution."

The government has not yet made a decision about extending the nightly curfew. The measure, effective since Jan. 23, expires on Feb. 10, but could be extended.

As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in several countries with the already-authorized coronavirus vaccines.

Meanwhile, 237 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide -- 63 of them in clinical trials -- in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain and the United States, according to information released by the World Health Organization on Jan. 29.