Coronavirus risk levels fall in 12 Dutch regions

As the number of positive coronavirus tests and the number of Covid-19 hospital admissions are falling, the coronavirus risk levels were able to be reduced in 12 regions. The government updated the status of the country’s 25 security regions on Wednesday. The four risk levels used are Caution, Concern, Serious and Severe.

Groningen and Gooi en Vechtstreek were brought down two steps in one fell swoop. They have both been at the highest level, Severe, since July 13. They now have the status of Concern as of Wednesday.

Twente, Utrecht, Zaanstreek-Waterland, Kennemerland, Hollands Midden and Brabant-Zuidoost are no longer at the highest risk level either. They dropped from Severe to Serious.

Friesland, IJsselland, Gelderland-Midden and Noord-Holland Noord went from Serious to Conern.

Limburg-North is the only region where the situation is deteriorating. The area was said to be Serious, but as of Wednesday the situation is Severe. This is due to the high number of hospital admissions.

Nothing changed in the other twelve regions. Amsterdam-Amstelland, Rotterdam-Rijnmond, Haaglanden, Flevoland, Zuid Holland Zuid and Zuid-Limburg remain at the Severe level. Noord en Oost Gelderland, Gelderland-Zuid, Midden en West Brabant and Brabant-North will keep the status Serious for a week longer, and the situation in Drenthe and Zeeland will remain at Concern. The lowest level, Caution, does not apply to any of the 25 regions for the upcoming week.

In total, seven regions are rated Severe, ten as Serious and eight as Concern. Last week, 14 regions were Severe, nine regions were Serious and two were at Caution.

The government will reassess the risk levels next Wednesday. The map has no consequence on coronavirus measures in the Netherlands, regionally or nationally, for the time being. The current restrictions apply throughout the country.

European warning levels for the Netherlands could fall

The continued decline in coronavirus infections could reduce the alert level from the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in up to six provinces in the Netherlands. That could potentially impact restrictions other countries impose on people traveling from the Netherlands across their borders.

Drenthe, Friesland, Groningen and Zeeland are expected to fall to Orange, the second lowest of four risk levels from the ECDC. Gelderland and Utrecht could also drop below that threshold.

The ECDC updates their risk assessment and map every Thursday. Some countries update their travel restrictions within days of the weekly ECDC report.