Curfew is a last resort, says Justice Minister

The Cabinet can reintroduce a nightly curfew to contain any further spread of the coronavirus if necessary, but caretaker Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus said this would be "a last resort." The law already makes it possible for a reintroduction of the measure, he said.

However, the minister emphasized that the Cabinet "should not immediately deploy extreme methods." The minister called on everyone to adhere to the coronavirus rules, so that the reintroduction of the curfew is not necessary.

The curfew was in place earlier this year, starting at the end of January and continuing through the end of March. Grapperhaus cited the Outbreak Management Team (OMT) in saying the curfew helped a great deal against the spread of the virus. The exact effect the measure had at that time "is still being precisely calculated."

The introduction of the measure in January seemed by no means certain, after a court initially ruled that there was no sound legal basis for it. The court also doubted its usefulness. Later, on appeal, the Cabinet was found to have acted justly.

In between court cases, the government drafted an emergency law so that the legal basis would be harder to challenge.