The Netherlands opens everything again, but with steps

The entire community will open again, Kuipers announced at a press conference that can be followed live on air. Not all at once, but in steps. These are big strides, in quick succession. This is done with the aim of vulnerable groups in society. Because we can’t live without each other’, he says.

At the end of last year, the Netherlands is back in full swing full closure, as the only European country. Series followed in January relaxation† The restaurant industry has also been allowed to open up to a limited extent again. Combined with the advancement of Omicron, this has caused the number of infections to rise. “But it seems that we are now at the peak or past it,” the minister said. However, he cautions to be careful. “The number of infections is still very high.” So phasing out is necessary, he says.

The first relaxations take effect immediately. There are no longer restrictions on the number of people you can receive at home, and the ‘maximum’ for teleworking has been replaced with ‘working in the office maximally half the time’.

From February 18, the rule to keep your distance from each other and stick to the mask will expire. Everything can then remain open again until 1 am. There is an exception for public transportation and airports.

A week later, on February 25, almost everything will be fixed. The closing hours have expired, and the corona pass is no longer required for meetings with fewer than 500 attendees. Quarantine rules from high-risk countries are also becoming less stringent. However, according to Minister Kuipers, it is still best to avoid large crowds for the time being. Celebrate the carnival in your own environment. Celebrate in the café, but not in large crowds.”

On March 15, the Dutch government will decide which rules will remain in effect for the time being. In addition to the public transportation exceptions, this is also the duty of working from home at least part-time.

The Netherlands was keen to follow Denmark through the complete abolition of Corona restrictions. The corona measures have caused a lot of polarization among our northern neighbors.