Bars, cafes, and all but the most essential stores will close in the Netherlands until mid-January, as the country goes into hard lockdown in a bid to slow the spread of the Omicron variant.
The new restrictions were announced by the government on Saturday evening, after an emergency meeting of Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s cabinet that afternoon. The lockdown was recommended by the government’s Outbreak Management Team.
“A sudden press conference on Saturday, four days after the last one, does not indicate anything good,” Rutte said during a televised briefing, before delivering the bad news: “The Netherlands goes back into lockdown, it shuts again.”
As of Sunday morning, all stores, services, and hospitality venues will close until January 14, save for a few essential outlets like supermarkets and pharmacies. Bars and cafes will shut, and restaurants will provide take-out meals only. Schools, many of which are already finished for Christmas, will close their doors.
Officially, those celebrating Christmas at home will be subject to restrictions, too. Throughout the lockdown, a maximum of two visitors per household will apply. Exceptions will be made for Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, the latter a day typically celebrated in the Netherlands with drinks, parties, and home fireworks.
The Netherlands has been under partial lockdown since late November, with face masks required in most settings and “non-essential locations” forced to close between 5pm and 5am. However, the new restrictions mark the sharpest curbs on freedom and socialization since the country entered a hard lockdown this time last year.
While the average number of new cases reported every day has fallen from a record 22,450 in late November, the country is still clocking an average of 15,000 new infections every day, up from just under 10,000 the last time the country went into hard lockdown. Deaths, however, have not increased to match the caseload, with 50 deaths reported on Saturday, around the same daily figure as a year ago.
And while the new measures are ostensibly being taken to curb the spread of the highly transmissible and apparently vaccine-resistant Omicron variant of Covid-19, early data suggests that this new variant causes significantly milder symptoms than previous strains.
The Netherlands is not the only European country to reimpose restrictions over the variant, however. In the UK, ministers will reportedly propose a post-Christmas lockdown to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and in Denmark, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has announced a raft of new restrictions on stores and hospitality venues. In Ireland on Friday, the government announced earlier closing times for pubs and restaurants to last until the end of January.
Secretary-General António Guterres received the Lamp of Peace award on Saturday, a major honour from the Catholic Church, which he said recognizes the work of UN personnel “striving for peace around the world”.
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Indonesia’s geological agency said it sees increasing activity that could trigger an avalanche of lava and searing gas, similar to the Dec. 4 eruption,
More than 300,000 people have been displaced and at least 31 were killed as Typhoon Rai tore through the Philippines. It was the archipelago’s 15th and strongest major storm this year.
The tropical storm, named Rai internationally but named Odette locally, gathered over the Philippines this week, later than most typhoons which typically develop between July and October. It intensified rapidly on Thursday and was classified as a super typhoon, and a category 5 storm, the highest level.
In the worst affected regions, “the monster storm” caused “utter destruction,” journalist David Santos tweeted, sharing images of the aftermath.
More scenes of utter destruction caused by Typhoon Odette in Dapa town in Siargao Island, as residents start cleanup. Govt forces flying in on hardest-hit areas in Surigao to survey the devastation in the aftermath of the monster storm | @cnnphilippines
With winds reaching 195kph (121mph), it ripped off roofs and uprooted trees, creating widespread destruction in its path and leaving houses and swathes of rice fields submerged.
At least 31 people were killed, the country’s disaster agency said on Saturday. Most of the fatalities reported were due to falling trees or drowning. Officials said the death toll was preliminary and might rise, as more information from provincial units is yet to come.
Cebu is currently being devastated by Typhoon #OdettePH. I can’t describe my feeling so scary outside. This is just inside but you can feel the wrath already. Cebu is home of millions Filipinos. Please pray for the Philippines. We need God during this time. Only miracle can save. pic.twitter.com/Z3DBHGrPOh
The typhoon ravaged the southern and central regions of the island country, also hitting popular tourist destinations, including Siargao and Cebu. More than 300,000 people fled their homes and beachfront resorts. Dozens of flights were canceled, leaving about 4,000 people stranded.
BREAKING: Typhoon #OdettePH (international name: Rai) intensifies further, slams into Surigao City in southern part of the Philippines. @cnnphilippines
A local official in the Dinagat Islands said “everything was destroyed,” including evacuation centers, and residents have nowhere to seek refuge. President Rodrigo Duterte announced he would visit the hardest-hit areas on Saturday, saying he doesn’t worry so much about damage to structures, but “fears if many people died.”
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