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WORLD NEWS Friday 14 January 2022

Frustration grows as Dutch Cabinet mulls future of lockdown

By MIKE CORDER measure that would "buy
Associated Press time" for more people to
THE HAGUE, Netherlands get booster vaccines and
(AP) — The new Dutch gov- for the nation's health care
ernment met Thursday to system to prepare for a
discuss whether to extend possible new surge in infec-
or ease its coronavirus lock- tions. The booster drive was
down amid growing anger slow to get started in the
among owners of business- Netherlands, but has gath-
es that have been shut- ered pace in recent weeks.
tered for weeks. Just over 86% of adults are
The Netherlands has been fully vaccinated and 45%
in a strict lockdown since have had a booster shot.
mid-December, with mea- Many businesses are now
sures including all nones- calling for a relaxation of
sential stores, bars, restau- measures despite omicron
rants, cinemas, theaters spreading even more eas-
and museums closing their ily than previous corona-
doors, while European virus strains. Early studies
neighbors such as Germa- show omicron is less likely
ny and Belgium have im- to cause severe illness than
posed far fewer restrictions. the previous delta variant,
That has led to frustration and vaccination and a
particularly in towns and cit- Associated Press booster still offer strong pro-
ies close to the borders that who make appointments, the borders with Germany appreciation for this play- tection from serious illness,
are seeing people shuttling permitting businesses like and Belgium, posted mes- ful action by our Dordrecht hospitalization and death.
across borders to shop or hairdressers and gyms to re- sages on social media to entrepreneurs." Two prominent organiza-
dine out. The lockdown is in open and letting university say they would open from Despite the Dutch lock- tions representing Dutch
place until at least the end and other higher educa- noon until 5 p.m. on Sat- down, which was imposed businesses this week added
of Friday. Prime Minister tion students return to class- urday, and stores in other until at least midnight Fri- their influential voices to
Mark Rutte and new Health es. Elementary and high towns made similar plans. day, an omicron-fueled calls for an easing.
Minister Ernst Kuipers will schools re-opened earlier In Dordrecht, near Rot- surge in infections has seen "Policy should be fully fo-
hold a press conference Fri- this week. The government terdam, business owners record numbers of new cused on reopening the
day evening to announce did not comment. made their views clear by cases in recent weeks, al- economy from Jan. 15,"
the future of the measures. Some businesses are plan- renaming shopping streets though hospital and inten- the employers and small
Dutch media, citing un- ning to open their doors Antwerp — a reference to a sive care unit admissions business organizations said
named sources in The on Saturday regardless of Belgian city that has drawn have fallen. When the lock- in a joint statement. "The
Hague, reported that the whether lockdown mea- thousands of Dutch visitors down was announced on lockdown is no longer fea-
government plans to ease sures remain in force. during the lockdown. Dec. 18, the head of the sible for entrepreneurs or
the lockdown by allowing Shop owners in the Wyck The city's mayor, Wouter Dutch public health insti- for society as a whole and
non-essential stores to re- neighborhood of the south- Kolff, tweeted that he had tute, Jaap van Dissel, de- all other countries in Europe
sume business with people ern city of Maastricht, near "a lot of understanding and scribed it as a preventative are also largely open."q

French teachers go on strike over

handling of pandemic

By SYLVIE CORBET gious omicron variant. was English teacher and
The Associated Press Health Minister Olivier Ve- SE-UNA union member Lilia
PARIS (AP) — French teach- ran announced on Twitter Larbi who said that people
ers voiced anger at the way Thursday that he tested are "fed up" with the situa-
the French government is positive for the virus and tion at school.
handling the pandemic in was self-isolating in order to "The strike is not against
schools, denounced con- continue working. the virus, it's against bad
fusing rules and called for The teachers' strike puts the communication, changing
more protection during a government of President rules... and the bad han-
nationwide strike on Thurs- Emmanuel Macron under dling of the sanitary crisis,"
day. additional pressure a week she said, adding that the
Exhausted by the pressures after opposition lawmakers government "is denying re-
of surging COVID-19 cases, delayed implementation of ality." Associated Press
many teachers answered a key measure that man- Larbi said she taught to only
the call by 11 unions to pro- dates proof of vaccination three children in her class tion" at the confusing "or- ernment directives "which is
test virus-linked class disrup- for entry into restaurants, on Wednesday because ders and counterorders." not possible."
tions and ever-changing cultural and sport facilities. colleagues either tested Within a span of a week, Fatna Seghrouchni, a
isolation rules. Teachers want clarifica- positive for COVID-19 or authorities changed the teacher in the Paris region
France is at the epicenter tions on rules and more were waiting for test results. rules on testing schoolchil- and member of the Feder-
of Europe's current fight protections, such as extra "We feel like we're babysit- dren twice. ation Sud Education union,
against COVID-19, with masks and tests to help re- ting" rather than teaching, Le Bihan said teachers are said teachers are being
new infections topping lieve the strain. she said. under additional pressure asked "to do things without
360,000 a day this week, Among those at a demon- Paris teacher Frédéric Le from parents who expect- having the means to do
driven by the highly conta- stration in Paris' city center Bihan expressed "exaspera- ed them to implement gov- them." q