Large parts of the Netherlands to turn red on next ECDC map

The Netherlands will largely turn red on the European map for coronavirus cases next week. Almost 23 thousand people tested positive in the past week, more than 50 percent compared to the previous week.

The ‘autumn increase’ could mean that other countries will eventually introduce stricter rules for Dutch travelers, as happened with the fourth wave in July.

Limburg is currently the only province red on the map that the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) makes weekly. Red is the second-highest warning color. Next Thursday, when the new map comes out, Utrecht, Gelderland, Zuid Holland, Overijssel, Flevoland, Friesland will go from orange to red. Zeeland could possibly also be added to the list. Noord-Holland, Noord-Brabant, Groningen and Drenthe seem to be the only provinces to remain orange.

More provinces could turn red if four or more percent of tests are positive, including access testing and GGD tests.

The numbers of positive coronavirus tests have gone back to the levels of late July and early August. Those were the last days of the fourth wave after the catering industry reopened. During that peak, countries such as Germany and France decided to tighten the rules for Dutch travelers, based on the ECDC map.

Germany could soon reclassify the Netherlands as a “high-risk area” if the number of positive coronavirus tests goes above 100 for every 100 thousand inhabitants in a week for a longer period of time.

The Netherlands has been above the limit since last Tuesday and cases have been rising further. In the seven days prior to Saturday, 130 positive tests were registered for every 100 thousand people in the Netherlands.