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Christmas shopping in Rotterdam: shopping shortly before the store closes for a long time
Photo: ROBIN UTRECHT / picture alliance / ROBIN UTRECHT
The Netherlands is facing a new hard corona lockdown.
In an emergency meeting in the afternoon, the cabinet decided to tighten the rules.
The media had previously reported from government circles that the Lockdwon will come into force on Sunday for shops, restaurants, culture and hairdressers and will initially apply until January 14th.
The government advisory board had advised a strict lockdown because of the rapidly expanding Omikron variant.
The experts had recommended that almost all shops with the exception of supermarkets and pharmacies close, as well as restaurants, sports, culture, cinemas and schools.
There is currently a lockdown in the evening - this means that everything with the exception of supermarkets must close at 5 p.m.
After the first media reports about the new restrictions, numerous people streamed into the city centers on Saturday afternoon;
long queues formed in front of hairdressers and shops.
Many Dutch people wanted to do their Christmas shopping at the last minute.
The center of Rotterdam was so overcrowded in the early afternoon that the city called on citizens to stop coming.
Reports from Amsterdam make it clear that the number of infections with the Omikron variant doubles every two to three days.
Experts expect this variant to be dominant in the capital even before Christmas.
The hospitals in particular are still under so much pressure that they will probably not be able to cope with a further influx of patients.
Austria and France are also tightening restrictions
A week before Christmas, countries like Austria and France are tightening their restrictions in view of the spread of the highly contagious Omikron variant. From Monday, Austria will only allow travelers with 2G proof into the country, so they must be fully vaccinated or have recovered. As the Ministry of Health announced, vaccinated and convalescent persons must also provide evidence of a booster vaccination or a current PCR test upon entry from Monday. Otherwise they have to be placed in quarantine, which can only be ended with a negative PCR test.
"These stricter entry regulations bring with them great challenges, especially for people who travel abroad over the Christmas holidays," said Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein.
"However, they are necessary at this point in time to counter the spread of Omikron in Austria."
In France there are to be stricter measures for unvaccinated people and a third-party vaccination obligation for nursing staff and the fire brigade.
There is already compulsory vaccination for around 2.7 million employees of hospitals, old people's and nursing homes, nursing and rescue services and the fire brigade.
They all have to have been vaccinated twice so far.
Anyone who does not comply will be suspended from duty and no longer receive a salary.
Now the booster should also be mandatory from January 30th.
The government wants to introduce the 2G rule in many areas of public life.
For this purpose, the previously necessary health passport is to be converted into a vaccination pass, as Prime Minister Jean Castex announced.
Omikron is spreading "very quickly around us in Europe." From January, the variant will also be dominant in France.
The health pass, which provides information on whether someone has been vaccinated, recovered or recently tested negative, is required in France in restaurants, shopping centers, event venues and museums, among other places.
Soon, because of the impending omicron wave, a negative test will no longer be sufficient, as Castex explained.
Only those who have received a booster vaccination or have recovered will still receive a passport.
"It is unacceptable that the refusal of a few million French people to be vaccinated is endangering the lives of an entire country and affecting the everyday lives of an overwhelming majority of French people," criticized Castex.
According to the French government, the period between the second and third vaccination is to be shortened from five to four months.
On Friday, France and Denmark were declared high-risk corona areas by the federal government.
The French capital Paris canceled the New Year's Eve fireworks and the concerts planned on the Champs-Élysées in view of the infection situation.
Switzerland also decided on stricter rules on Friday, including a return to the obligation to work from home.
With Portugal and France, other European countries are also expanding corona vaccinations to younger children.
In Portugal, children between the ages of five and eleven have been vaccinated since Saturday; in France, child vaccinations are due to start on Wednesday.
lov / AFP / dpa
