Parts of the country where coronavirus cases are still rising will not yet face a curfew, justice minister Ferd Grapperhaus said after the weekly cabinet meeting. ‘We are not yet at the point when we consider a curfew to be necessary,’ Grapperhaus told reporters.

On Tuesday, prime minister Mark Rutte said that some regions where cases are still going up, including Rotterdam, Dordrecht and Twente, could face a 10pm curfew and the closure of all non-essential shops within the next few days.

Political commentators say one reason for the decision is the difference of opinion about the need for curfews within the cabinet itself. In particular, the ruling VVD and the Liberal democratic party D66 have doubts about the legality of a curfew without a parliamentary vote, insiders say.