The cabinet had decided that some healthcare and education personnel should be given priority at coronavirus test centres but details are still being worked out, broadcaster NOS said on Friday.

Teaching staff at primary and secondary schools, but not college, university or daycare staff, would be allowed to jump waiting lists to offset unnecessary school closures, NOS said.

Officials are also looking at giving some healthcare workers priority as well, and health minister Hugo de Jonge may give more details on Friday evening, the broadcaster said.

De Jonge said earlier on Friday that the shortage of lab space to process swabs is likely to last for several more weeks, meaning testing capacity cannot yet be expanded.

On Thursday, 86 of the 100 test centres nationwide were fully booked for the next 48 hours.

More positive tests

Meanwhile, the number of positive coronavirus tests in the Netherlands has risen above the key figure of seven, meaning there are more than seven infections per 100,000 of the population.

This is one of the red flags the government has identified as a possible trigger for more regulations.

The number of positive tests has topped 1,000 over the past three days. Most positive infections were in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam but the highest positive test rate was in Delft.