Dutch face curbs again as cases rise in Europe

AMSTERDAM • The Netherlands is entering a partial lockdown after Covid-19 infections hit records last week, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said.

It is Western Europe's first partial lockdown of the winter.

"We have a very difficult message tonight, combined with drastic measures," he told a press conference in The Hague on Friday.

The country was set to enter a partial lockdown for three weeks from yesterday. Bars, restaurants, cafes and supermarkets have to close early at 8pm, while non-essential shops must shut at 6pm.

Casinos, saunas, hairdressers and sex workers will also have to adhere to the 6pm lockdown.

Under the restrictions, a maximum of four guests aged over 13 will be allowed to visit a house at a single time. In addition, people have been urged to work from home as far as possible. The government will review the situation on Dec 3, to see if further measures are needed, Mr Rutte added.

The tougher measures could mean more public discontent. Several hundred protesters angered by the announcement gathered in The Hague afterwards, with police firing water cannon at them.

The Netherlands, which recently opened a vaccinated travel lane with Singapore, on Thursday reclassified Singapore from a low-risk to a very high-risk country, requiring travellers to be tested.

Europe reported almost two million cases the week before last, the most in a single week in the region since the pandemic started.

Austria's government wants a nationwide lockdown for those not vaccinated against or recovered from the coronavirus, while officials in the capital Vienna said they would start vaccinating children as young as five - a first in the European Union.

Only around 65 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated in Austria, a rate described by Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg as "shamefully low".

Salzburg and Upper Austria states, which have seen some of the country's worst case rates, will introduce a lockdown for the unvaccinated from tomorrow. This means they will not be able to leave home except for reasons such as buying essential supplies, exercise or seeking medical care.

"The aim is clear: We want on Sunday to give the green light for a nationwide lockdown for the unvaccinated," Mr Schallenberg said, adding that the lockdowns would be enforced with spot checks.

He said the government had been reluctant to consider the latest measure, but justified it by adding: "The majority of the population, who have done the right thing, who have protected themselves - now we have to protect them too."

He added: "I don't accept that the solidarity of the protected majority with the unprotected minority should go as far as a lockdown."

The measure will have to be signed off by Parliament and a meeting of the heads of regional governments over the weekend before it can be rolled out.

Among extra measures will be vaccinations for children aged between five and 11 from tomorrow.

The European Medicines Agency has not yet issued an authorisation for any of the vaccines to be used for this age group.

In Germany, Mr Christian Lindner, who is in line to be finance minister in the next government, called the situation in his country "dramatic" as infections rise at a near-record pace, with 45,081 cases reported for the 24 hours through early yesterday.

He said lockdowns for unvaccinated people cannot be ruled out. The German RKI public health institute also recorded another 228 deaths from Covid-19, taking the total to 97,617, while the seven-day incidence rate climbed to 277.4.

The Czech Republic had 14,199 new cases on Friday, an increase of 5,000 from a week ago.

The nation of 10.7 million people has now reported new cases of more than 10,000 infections for four straight days.

The government will announce curbs tomorrow that may involve limiting access to some services and facilities for those who are not vaccinated.

Ireland reported the most new cases since Jan 10, with government health advisers suggesting people should work from home where possible.

On Nov 4, the World Health Organisation's Europe chief warned that the current trajectory of Covid-19 in the region could mean "another half a million Covid-19 deaths" by February.

A daily average of 4,031 coronavirus-related deaths had been recorded over the past week - a 10 per cent rise on the previous week and an 18 per cent increase on the week before that. A year ago, the daily average was 3,785 fatalities.

For most European nations, the main goal is to get as many people vaccinated as possible. For example, France recently announced that those over 65 must receive a booster jab to obtain a health pass.

Some countries are going further and starting to reinstate restrictions on movement which people had hoped were over. The Russian government said on Friday it had submitted to Parliament two Bills that will introduce mandatory health passes. Health professionals there will also have to wear masks and be tested twice a week.

BLOOMBERG, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE