The Netherlands will shut primary schools next week and extend a night-time lockdown as fears grow over the Omicron coronavirus variant, Prime Minister Mark Rutte has said.
Schools will close from December 20 instead of on Christmas Day on December 25 due to concerns that children, among whom Covid-19 rates are the highest, could infect older relatives. "This is obviously not the joyful message we had hoped for as Christmas approaches.
But it's not a surprise," Mr Rutte told a press conference. "We cannot ignore the warning signs about the Omicron variant." The government will also extend until restrictions that mean shops, bars and restaurants must close between 5 pm and 5 am daily, and that people can only receive four guests at home