Lockdown exit strategy: Open schools first, then drop curfew & reopen shops

The Dutch government is working on an exit strategy to get the Netherlands out of the lockdown in steps. If infections continue to fall, primary schools and childcare centers will open first, then the curfew will be lifted, and after that secondary schools, shops and contact professions can reopen step by step, sources in The Hague told newspaper AD.

The involved Ministers will further discuss their exit strategy on Friday, insiders told the newspaper. Some points may change, but primary schools and childcare are the main priority, closely followed by lifting the controversial curfew. "It is more or less getting out as we came in, in terms of order. With primary schools open and curfews dropped as priority," one source said.

While daily infections seem to be falling, the Netherlands is still in the "very serious" phase of the pandemic with an average of nearly 5 thousand new infections per day and almost 2,300 coronavirus patients in hospital. But the government is aware that "perspective is needed", the newspaper's sources said.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte recently promised to present "a road map" out of the coronavirus lockdown, after repeated calls for one. "It will state what you can do if it works, if the number of infections decrease," he said. This exit strategy is that road map, according to the newspaper.