Coronavirus in the Netherlands: what you need to know (March 24)

Photo: DutchNews.nl
Photo: DutchNews.nl

Rising coronavirus cases led the government to postpone plans to relax some of the regulations at Tuesday’s press conference. Here’s what you need to know.

Curfew
The curfew will start an hour later from March 31 following the introduction of summer time this weekend. This means everyone is required to be indoors between 10pm to 4.30am, unless they have an exemption such as work or providing care, until at least April 20.

Travel
The government advises against all foreign travel up to May 15, unless there is a very compelling work or family reason.

The regulations announced on January 22, including the suspension of all flights from  South Africa and all of South America, has been extended until April 1.

The government is aiming to pass a law making quarantine compulsory for incoming travellers by the middle of May.

For the official travel advice, see the government website.

Shops
Supermarkets and stores selling mainly groceries will be allowed to open their doors until 9.45pm to take account of the later curfew time.

The regulations introduced earlier this month which allow shops to open by appointment to a limited number of customers are unchanged. Alcohol sales after 8pm remain banned.

Sport
No changes to the current regulations announced earlier in March. Children up to the age of 12 can take swimming lessons at indoor pools again.

Adults over the age of 26 are allowed to take part in sport with up to three other people outdoors, as long as they keep 1.5 metres apart. Indoor sports centres and gyms remain closed.

Home visits
No more than one visitor per 24 hours remains the recommendation.

And in the future
If infection rates come down and self testing kits are available, the government hopes to allow colleges and universities to restart physical lessons from April 26.

The next press conference will be held on April 13.

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