NETHERLANDS LIFTS COVID LOCKDOWN NATIONWIDE ON JUNE 5

The Netherlands has announced the end of its anti-coronavirus lockdown. In view of rapidly falling infection figures, almost all sectors could be reopened from June 5 - albeit still subject to clear conditions, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in The Hague on Friday evening.

"This is a great moment," Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) quoted him as saying.

From June 5, museums, theaters and cinemas will be allowed to reopen and receive at least a limited number of visitors. Restaurants will be allowed to serve guests indoors, subject to conditions, and opening hours will be extended until 10 p.m.

Citizens are allowed to receive four visitors at home instead of the previous two. There are also significant relaxations in the area of sports.

Larger restaurants, theatres, and museums are allowed to receive more visitors on the condition that they are tested beforehand. Discos and nightclubs remain closed and fairs are still prohibited.

During the European Football Championship, however, pubs are not allowed to show matches on video screens. The strict lockdown was imposed in mid-December. So far, there had been a relaxation in two steps.

The numbers of new infections and hospital admissions have been declining for three weeks. Currently, the seven-day incidence rate is about 129 infections per 100,000 inhabitants.

About 50 percent of all inhabitants have received at least one vaccination dose. More than 15 percent are fully vaccinated. However, the government fears that the pace of vaccination will be delayed because manufacturer Johnson & Johnson has supply problems.

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