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As mentioned earlier today, the Netherlands - which is already feeling significant impacts from Omicron - has announced a new, strict pandemic lockdown which begins tomorrow and will last until at least mid-January.
Since these are drastic and unpopular measures that no nation wants to take a week before Christmas, they should underscore just how concerned officials are over the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.
Other countries, including the UK - are reportedly discussing their options, as COVID pressures continue to mount on healthcare delivery systems (see London Mayor Sadiq Khan Declares `Major Incident' Over Omicron).
The (translated) announcement today from the Dutch government follows:
Slowing down the spread of omikron: the Netherlands in lockdown
News item | 18-12-2021 | 19:10
It has become clear in the past week that omikron is also spreading very quickly in the Netherlands. The OMT expects this variant to be dominant in the Netherlands by the end of December. This is earlier than expected. The rapid advance will lead to an increase in the number of corona patients in hospitals and ICUs this year. This makes an overload of care in January increasingly real. We all want to be able to go to the hospital and to the GP if necessary.
The spread of the omikron variant must be slowed down in the short term to keep care accessible to everyone. That is why the cabinet has decided that the Netherlands will go into lockdown from Sunday 19 December to at least Friday 14 January 2022.
Because we have only known the omikron variant for a short time, much is still uncertain. Despite these uncertainties, RIVM modellers calculated how quickly the virus can spread under different circumstances. More information about this in this RIVM news item . It seems clear that current measures alone are insufficient to keep the burden on care in hospitals and nursing homes manageable.
Measures and urgent advice from Sunday 19 December
- The following applies to everyone: Stay at home as much as possible and avoid crowds.
- Keep 1.5 meters away everywhere.
- Do not receive more than 2 people from 13 years old per day at home. With the exception of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day and during the New Year. Then a maximum of 4 people from 13 years old per day applies.
- Visit no more than once a day.
- Outside there is a maximum group size of 2 people from 13 years old. People who live at 1 address are excluded from this.
- On Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day and during the New Year, the maximum outdoor group size will increase to 4 people from 13 years old.
- Education and out-of-school care are physically closed until at least 9 January. There are some exceptions. On January 3, the cabinet will decide on education from January 10.
- All catering is closed. Ordering and collection is possible.
- All non-essential shops are closed. It is possible to order, pick up and return.
- Essential shops, such as supermarkets and drugstores, are open until 8pm. A mask obligation applies here and a maximum of 1 visitor per 5 m2 meter.
- Excepted services such as gas stations, pharmacies, libraries, driving schools, the notary or lawyer are open.
- All non-medical contact professions, such as hairdressers and beauticians, are closed.
- Cinemas, museums, theaters and concert halls are closed.
- All indoor sports locations are closed (with the exception of swimming lessons). Outdoor sports venues remain open for all ages between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. For adults from 18 years old, sports are allowed outside with a maximum of 2 people 1.5 meters away. Children and young people up to the age of 17 can play sports outside and play matches at their own club.
- There is an event ban. Funerals with a maximum of 100 guests, weekly markets and professional sports competitions without an audience are excluded. Christmas markets are not allowed.
View the brief overview of all basic rules, measures, conditions and exceptions .
These measures are in addition to the measures and advice that already apply to everyone at the moment, such as the basic rules, the mask obligation, the advice to do a self-test before visiting others and the advice to work from home. People aged 70 and over are advised to limit their contacts as much as possible, including with children, and to keep 1.5 meters away from them.
Entrepreneurs can make use of the support package that has recently been expanded and extended .
Education
Schools in secondary (special) education, senior secondary vocational education and universities of applied sciences will be closed from Monday 20 December to 9 January . This decision has already been taken for schools in primary education, where the existing agreements continue to apply. There are exceptions for practical education, examinations and interim examinations and vulnerable pupils and students. The basic principle is that education can open again after the Christmas holidays. The cabinet will make a decision on this by 3 January at the latest. The BSO is also closed until 9 January. Emergency care remains available for children of parents from crucial professions and for vulnerable children. Childcare locations, for children from 0 to 4 years old, will remain open.
boost
To improve protection against the omikron variant, all over 18s will be offered a booster as soon as possible. Only with a booster are you better protected against this variant. The aim is for as many people over 60 as possible to get their booster shot before the turn of the year. Where capacity allows, people over 60 who only have an appointment in January will be invited to bring their appointment forward. They will receive a text about this in the course of next week. Do not contact the GGD about this yourself. By January 7, all over 18s will have had the opportunity to make an online appointment for a booster vaccine. By the second half of January, anyone aged 18 and over who has been vaccinated or infected more than three months ago should have had the opportunity to receive a booster vaccination.
Make your appointment online as much as possible. This helps the GGD to run the booster campaign as smoothly and as quickly as possible. If you are not handy with the computer, ask children or acquaintances for help. There are also people at the library who can help you.
Concern
Due to the rapid spread of the omikron variant, the pressure on the entire healthcare system can become high. Not only in hospitals, but also in home care, mental health care, general practitioner care and care for the elderly and disabled. Scenarios are being worked out to continue to organize and provide care as well as possible. The aim of these preparations is that care remains available to everyone who urgently needs it, even under the most severe circumstances.
