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Diasabra, 13 November 2021 AWEMainta.com 22
INTERNATIONAL

Covid: Dutch partial lockdown

to tackle surge in infections

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has announced
Western Europe's first partial Covid lockdown of
the winter, with three weeks of restrictions for
shops, sport and catering.

He said that the annoying, drastic move was in
response to record infections and rising intensive
care cases.
Much of Europe is facing a surge in cases, blamed
partly on low vaccine take-up in several countries.
Austria is expected to back a lockdown for
unvaccinated people this weekend.
Restrictions would be imposed first in the two
provinces of Upper Austria and Salzburg from
Monday, according to Health Minister Wolfgang
Mückstein.

Denmark, which had downgraded coronavirus
as no longer a "socially critical" disease, has
re-instated a Covid pass that was phased out
in September. The government wants to push Cinemas and theatres will stay open. Social distancing of 1.5m (5ft)
through a law allowing workplaces to require the is being reintroduced where Covid passes are not in operation. The
pass for staff. caretaker cabinet is also working on a change in the law to allow
Covid passes set to stay as Europe heads for winter businesses to choose whether they want to limit entry to people who
The Dutch prime minister said that fortunately have been vaccinated or who have recovered.
the vast majority of people in the Netherlands
had been vaccinated. But he said the three- The catering industry has reacted angrily to the news; a spokesman
week partial lockdown would start on Saturday told public broadcaster NOS the government had "crossed a line".
evening: Last weekend, thousands of protesters marched through The Hague
in anger at existing Covid restrictions.
Non-essential shops will have to shut at 18:00 Latest daily figures on Friday showed 16,287 new Covid cases, just
(17:00 GMT) and supermarkets, cafes, restaurants short of Thursday's record but up a third on the previous week. Dutch
and hotels at 20:00 vaccination rates are relatively high, with 82.4% of over-12s having
Professional and amateur sport will continue, but two doses, that's 73% of the total population.
behind closed doors
That includes the Netherlands' football World In Austria, vaccine take-up is at 65% and Chancellor Alexander
Cup qualifier against Norway on 16 November Schallenberg says he will talk to provincial governors on Sunday before
The 18:00 closure applies to casinos and saunas the green light is given for a national lockdown for the unvaccinated.
as well as hairdressers and sex workers "The situation in Austria is worrying and infection numbers are rising
A maximum of four guests aged over 13 will be rapidly, especially in Upper Austria and Salzburg," the health minister
allowed at people's homes warned. The two provinces have a combined population of more than
As many people should work from home as two million.
possible

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