Dutch flock to the shops before expected Christmas Covid-19 lockdown
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People do their Christmas shopping in Nijmegen ahead of an expected "strict" coronavirus lockdown for the Netherlands, on Dec 18, 2021.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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THE HAGUE (REUTERS) - The Dutch hit the shops on Saturday (Dec 18) as they prepared for a Christmas lockdown that is expected to close all but essential stores from Sunday, as the health minister said the authorities were "extremely worried" about the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
The main shopping street in Leiden, 20km from the capital The Hague, was thronged with people looking for last-minute gifts. Some stores, selling toys or luxury skin care and cosmetics, had queues outside.
"It's normally busy before Christmas but this much busier than usual," cosmetics shop manager Ali Windster told Reuters.
Municipal authorities in the port city of Rotterdam urged shoppers via Twitter to stay at home because the city centre was "too busy".
The government is meeting on Saturday with its health experts, who have recommended the closure of all non-essential shops, schools, bars, restaurants and other public venues.
"We are extremely worried," about the possible spread of the Omicron variant, Health Minister Hugo de Jonge told journalists earlier on Saturday.
Stocking up on cosmetics in Windster's Leiden shop was Carla Nekeman, who said she was preparing for a strict new lockdown.
"I am getting a lot of the stuff I need that I can't get in the supermarket," Ms Nekeman said. "I'll have to stand in line everywhere."
Health ministry spokesman Axel Dees told Reuters there would be a government press conference to announce new measures at 7pm (2am on Sunday, Singapore time). He did not comment on the types of measures that would be announced.
Broadcasters NOS and RTL reported that the lockdown, which will also see hairdressers and gyms close their doors, would start early on Sunday morning and run until Jan 14.
It would come after the government on Tuesday extended the 5pm to 5am closure of bars, restaurants and most stores, introduced in late November, until Jan 14.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte said then that Omicron could be the dominant coronavirus variant in the Netherlands by January.
On Saturday, the National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) reported a total of over 2.9 million Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic with 20,420 reported deaths. On Saturday, the institute reported 14,616 new infections in 24 hours.
The feared new wave of Omicron infections would further burden the country's strained healthcare system, which is already postponing most routine care and cancelling all but urgent operations in order to cope with Covid-19 patients.
