Corona pandemic: Netherlands reintroduce mask requirements

In the Netherlands, the highest alert level will apply in the future: As the number of infections is skyrocketing, the government is reintroducing the mask requirement. The Corona passport is also more often required as proof.

The Netherlands have tightened the corona measures again due to the increasing number of infections. The mask requirement will be reintroduced for all publicly accessible places, announced Prime Minister Mark Rutte in The Hague. In future, citizens will have to wear masks in libraries, train stations, hospitals, universities and shops.

The Corona pass will also be mandatory for more locations. People no longer only have to prove in restaurants, cinemas and theaters that they have been vaccinated, recovered or tested. The Corona Pass is also required for sports clubs, fitness centers and zoos from November 6th. The government is also planning a law that would allow employers to require their employees to present their passports. Citizens should also maintain the safety distance of 1.5 meters again.

The situation is now serious, the highest warning level applies, said Rutte. He called on people to work from home if possible and to avoid public transport at peak times. “Everything depends on our own behavior.”

The situation in hospitals is precarious

Just over a month ago, the country lifted many measures and abolished the 1.5 meter rule. As a result, the number of infections rose rapidly. In the past seven days alone, 54,000 people contracted Corona. The 7-day incidence is now 313.

More than 1200 Covid patients have to be treated in hospitals, more than in five months, said the Institute for Health and Environment. In the meantime, the situation at many clinics has become so precarious that hundreds of operations have been canceled again. The number of deaths is also increasing, according to the information. In the past week, 102 people died as a result of a corona infection. About 20 percent of Dutch people over the age of 12 are not vaccinated.