The Dutch government is expected to reimpose restrictions on nightclubs, music festivals and restaurants on Friday in response to a surge in Covid-19 infections among young adults, local media reported.
The Netherlands lifted most lockdown measures on June 26th, as cases were falling and around two-thirds of the population has received at least one vaccination shot.
But, with bars, restaurants and nightclubs open again, new cases have risen at the fastest pace in months, with more than almost 7,000 cases reported over the 24-hours through Friday morning. That compared to fewer than 1,000 a week earlier.
The total number of new infections in the past week jumped to 22,000, almost five times more than a week before.
So far, however, the new spike in infections has not led to an increase of Covid-19 patients in hospitals.
Targeted towards young
Prime Minister Mark Rutte is expected to announce the decision at a news conference at 7pm Irish time on Friday, news agency ANP reported.
The country is not expected to return to a widespread lockdown, but is widely expected to take targeted measures to limit the spread of infections among teenagers and young adults.
Broadcaster RTL said cafes and bars would be ordered to close at midnight, and outdoor events would be limited a maximum of 1,000 visitors and no more than 500 people allowed to attend indoor gatherings.
Around three-quarters of new cases in the Netherlands are occurring among young people and more than half are of the more infectious Delta variant, Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said this week.
