A socially distanced queue snaked down the street outside
my local bar this morning.
Initially thinking enthusiastic drinkers had decided to
brave the autumn chill to get their rounds in early, as I approached I noticed
everyone was clutching papers.
One woman told me she’d come for an injection. I peered
inside where nurses wearing visors and masks were preparing syringes. The
popular drinking venue has been transformed to serve flu jabs.
Noah Kester is worried about having fewer days workImage caption: Noah Kester is worried about having fewer days work
The new Dutch partial lockdown rules focus on limiting
social interactions.
From 22:00, bars, restaurants and cafes – including those
selling cannabis – will be closed for at least four weeks. They can still offer
takeaways. Grocery stores and off-licences are banned from selling alcohol
after 20:00.
Noah Kester, a waitress at Bagels and Beans café in The
Hague, is worried about what will happen after this period.
She’ll continue
serving coffee-to-go but is afraid she might have fewer days at work.
She told me
she was shocked by how quickly the Dutch infection rates had shot up. “In the
summer, everything looked like it was going to be fine here, until suddenly it
wasnt… I think the government wasn’t expecting it either. But I don’t think
its fair that we [the hospitality sector] are the ones who take the hit when
we have been so careful.”
The “rule of four” applies to friends indoors and
outside.
Schools, colleges and universities will stay open, with the
Dutch prime minister saying education was too important to close them – yet.
Face masks have been made mandatory inside enclosed
public spaces for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Rush hour was quieter than usual. People have been asked
to stick to essential journeys only and work from home when possible.
The impact of these restrictions will be assessed in two
weeks’ time, if the numbers haven’t started to dip by then, the Dutch health
minister has warned a full lockdown is on the cards.
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