Despite an incidence of 1300: lockdown rules relaxed at German neighbors - "new phase"

Created: 01/15/2022Updated: 01/15/2022 13:22

By: Richard Strobl

People walk past closed shops on a normally busy shopping street in Holland.

© Peter Dejong/dpa

The Omicron wave rolls over Europe.

Nevertheless, a German neighbor is now relaxing its strict Covid measures.

Amsterdam – After almost four weeks, the Netherlands will end their strict corona lockdown on Saturday – under heavy pressure from companies.

The easing comes at a time when the new Omikron variant is on the rise in Europe.

However, not all requirements are lifted.

According to the WHO, almost 50 percent of Europeans will be infected with the corona virus by March.

Responsible for this: the new omicron variant, which is significantly more contagious than previous types of the virus.

Corona loosening in the Netherlands - despite the omicron wave

Nevertheless, the Netherlands are now relaxing their rules: shops, hairdressers, sports clubs and sex shops can open again from Saturday until 5 p.m., as Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced on Friday in The Hague.

In addition, citizens are allowed to receive four visitors at home instead of the previous two.

The quarantine obligation falls for those who have been boosted and people who were infected this year.

However, restaurants, theatres, cinemas and museums will remain closed until at least January 25th.

This distinction sometimes causes outrage among the operators.

Rutte justifies the different assessment by saying that in view of the dramatically increasing number of infections, not all areas can be opened at the same time.

"The risk is too great," the prime minister is quoted as saying.

However, he promised that there could be further easing at the end of the month.

Corona in the Netherlands: gastronomy extremely upset

The Dutch Minister of Health Ernst Kuipers even spoke of a “new phase of the pandemic”.

You now have to learn to live with the virus and also take the economic and social situation into account.

However, the risk of overloading the health system is still high.

Restaurateurs announced protest against the decision.

Some apparently want to open their shops despite the ban.

Rutte said: "I understand very well that it feels absolutely unfair."

The easing comes at a time when the number of infections is also increasing extremely in the Netherlands.

More than 35,000 new infections were recorded on Friday.

The 7-day incidence is over 1300. In Germany, this value was just under 500 on Saturday.