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| Covid: Dutch go into Christmas lockdown over Omicron wave | |
| (33 minutes later) | |
| People went shopping on Saturday before the lockdown was announced | |
| The Netherlands has announced a Christmas lockdown amid concerns over the Omicron coronavirus variant. | The Netherlands has announced a Christmas lockdown amid concerns over the Omicron coronavirus variant. |
| Non-essential shops, schools, bars, restaurants and other public venues will be closed until at least mid-January. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the restrictions were "unavoidable". | Non-essential shops, schools, bars, restaurants and other public venues will be closed until at least mid-January. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the restrictions were "unavoidable". |
| It marks the strictest rules to have been announced over Omicron so far. | It marks the strictest rules to have been announced over Omicron so far. |
| Countries across Europe have been tightening restrictions as the heavily mutated variant spreads. | Countries across Europe have been tightening restrictions as the heavily mutated variant spreads. |
| The new rules in the Netherlands, which come into force on Sunday, were announced following a meeting between the government and health experts. | The new rules in the Netherlands, which come into force on Sunday, were announced following a meeting between the government and health experts. |
| "I stand here tonight in a sombre mood. And a lot of people watching will feel that way too," Mr Rutte told a news conference on Saturday. "To sum it up in one sentence, the Netherlands will go back into lockdown from tomorrow." | |
| Under the new rules, people are being urged to stay at home as much as possible. Strict limits will be placed on the number of people who can meet. A maximum of two guests over the age of 13 will be allowed in people's homes, and four on 24-26 December and on New Year's Eve. | |
| The BBC's Anna Holligan in The Hague said the announcement is being met with disbelief and dismay. | |
| Officials said Omicron was expected to become the dominant variant in the Netherlands between Christmas and New Year. They urged people to get vaccinated. | |
| For weeks, curfews have been placed on hospitality and cultural venues in an effort to limit its spread. | |
| The Dutch National Institute for Public Health has reported more than 2.9m coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, and over 20,000 deaths. | The Dutch National Institute for Public Health has reported more than 2.9m coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, and over 20,000 deaths. |