WHO classifies new Africa mutant as “worrying” – Belgium registers first case with “Omikron”

In view of the rapidly increasing numbers of infections and patients the Netherlands imposes an evening lockdown. Shops, cultural venues, restaurants and sports clubs have to go daily already close at 5 p.m.. The tightened measures apply from Sunday for an initial three weeks; this was announced by Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Friday in The Hague. “In the Netherlands, everything is then basically closed from 5 p.m.” Supermarkets are excluded.

Schools should remain open for the time being. However, students aged ten and over must wear a face mask when they are not in their place. The 1.5 meter distance rule is being extended to cinemas, theaters and restaurants. This means that they can receive fewer visitors. The mask requirement will apply there again. There really has to be a turning point, said Rutte.

Especially the Location at the hospitals coming to a head. Health Minister Hugo de Jonge imposed emergency measures so that acute treatments can now also be canceled. In a hospital in Utrecht are now 120 military personnel deployedto relieve nursing staff. The state of emergency must be prevented, said de Jonge.

Across the country, emergency services had to look forward to possible Riots over the tightened measures prepared. Some people had already been arrested on Friday as a precaution for calling for riots on social networks. Last weekend there had been violent riots all night long. The police are expecting protests over the weekend.

The last time was on Friday 21,350 new corona cases have been registered, which is about 900 fewer than the day before. But the testing capacity of the authorities has long been exhausted. On average, 19 percent more new infections had been reported in the past seven days.

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