Primary schools to reopen fully in June; Gyms to remain closed: Report

Primary students in the Netherlands will likely return to their full schedules for the last few weeks of the school calendar, newspaper Telegraaf reported citing government sources. Students between the ages of 4 and 12 first returned to class on May 11, but at a reduced schedule where only half as many children were in schools at any given time.

That will likely change beginning on June 8, the newspaper said after the meeting of the Cabinet's crisis team. The news was expected to be revealed at a press conference with Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Public Health Minister Hugo de Jonge on Tuesday. It was unclear if more specific information would be given about reopening schools to children older than 12.

While schools in the northern part of the country will be dismissed at the end of July 3 for the six-week summer holiday, those in the south leave on July 11. Schools in the middle of the country are dismissed a week after that.

There was no expected acceleration of the phasing out of coronavirus restrictions as it relates to fitness centers, the newspaper said. For now, gyms will have to remain closed, with the national plan setting Sept. 1 as the prospective reopening date. The topic was to be discussed further next week by the Outbreak Management Team, with an announcement possible next week.

On Monday and Tuesday, leaks suggested that the Cabinet would not allow restaurants and cafes to open their outdoor spaces before June 1 at noon. Many in the catering industry had hoped the Cabinet would relax rules in time for them to open their doors to people who have the day off because of the public holiday on Thursday.