#Netherlands lockdown travel rules professional#

Germany, which has been reporting record daily rates of new infections on a seven-day average since the start of the week, is also urging people to cancel or avoid large events and to reduce their contacts.Starting May 12, non-U.S. The Austrian chancellor, Alexander Schallenberg, said on Friday his country would implement a lockdown for unvaccinated people in two hard-hit regions next week, and looks poised to move forward with similar measures nationwide.įrom Monday, unvaccinated people in the regions of Upper Austria and Salzburg will only be allowed to leave home for specific necessary reasons, such as buying groceries or going to the doctor. Until last month, the government had insisted the Netherlands’ comparatively high vaccination rate – 69% of the population is double jabbed, against an EU average of 65.8% – would mean it could relax remaining restrictions by the end of the year.īut as a fourth wave gathers pace in Europe, it is not alone in reintroducing stricter controls. “Hospitality businesses are again being presented with the bill for failing government policy,” the group said in a statement. They added that government officials “no longer know what to do”.Īn organisation representing bar and restaurant owners condemned the government.

#Netherlands lockdown travel rules professional#

The Dutch football federation and top two professional leagues expressed “great dismay” at the lockdown, which they described as “policy poverty”. The country abandoned most preventive measures in late September, although as cases began to rise the government made face masks mandatory in shops and other public venues again last weekend. The lockdown is longer than the 14 days recommended this week by the government’s outbreak management team and comes as the number of new infections reaches record levels in the Netherlands.

The health minister, Hugo de Jonge, said the government would next week debate legal changes to allow “exceptionally busy” stores and hospitality venues to choose whether they would accept only people who were fully vaccinated or had recovered, rather than also allowing access to people with a recent negative test. Schools, theatres and cinemas will remain open, as will conferences where the audience is seated, but public events such as trade fairs and exhibitions where the public can move around are cancelled from 6pm on Saturday. I want every Dutch citizen to be asking, can I do more? Can I do better? We had hoped with the vaccines we wouldn’t have to do this, but we see the same situation all across Europe.”

“The virus is everywhere and needs to combated everywhere. “Tonight we are bringing a very unpleasant message, with very unpleasant and far-reaching measures,” Rutte said. The healthcare system was already under such heavy pressure that knee, hip and even heart operations were being postponed. “We must reduce the number of contacts and infections as fast as possible,” Rutte said, calling the measures “unavoidable”. Gatherings at home would be limited to a maximum of four guests, all amateur and professional sporting events must be held behind closed doors, and home working was advised except in “absolutely unavoidable” circumstances, Rutte said.