(Bloomberg) — The Dutch government reopened restaurants and bars in its latest step to ease the strict lockdown measures it introduced last month even as infections continue hitting record high levels.
Cultural venues, bars and restaurants are set to reopen from Wednesday, with a closing time of 10 p.m, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Health Minister Ernst Kuipers announced at press conference on Tuesday in the Hague.
The decision came despite a surge in tests with a positive result. The average of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the past seven days surged to a new all-time high of 52,303, according to official data published by the government earlier in the day.
“We are taking a risk today,” Rutte said in televised remarks. “We are taking a big step in unlocking the Netherlands while infections numbers are going through the roof.”
The announcement came on the heels of a Jan. 14 decision to reopen non-essential shops, hairdressers and other contact professions while keeping restaurants, cinemas and cultural events shut. Dutch museums and theaters protested that decision by temporarily turning themselves into hair salons and gyms.
Read more: Dutch Ease Strict Lockdown as Fatalities, ICU Admissions Drop
The government had introduced a strict lockdown just before Christmas to stem a surge in coronavirus infections caused by the spread of the omicron variant. The country allowed only supermarkets and essential shops to stay open. Primary and secondary schools reopened earlier this month.
Data show weekly average in ICU admissions in the country of over 17 million dropped by 80% from last month’s peak to 11.1 on Jan. 21. The seven-day average of fatalities decreased by 86% from December’s high to 8.7 on Tuesday. The percentage of people aged 18 and over who have had their booster vaccination rose to 56.6% on Sunday.
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