All shops will also be allowed to open without an appointment from Saturday: Reports

Non-essential stores in the Netherlands will be allowed to open back up on Saturday with no appointments needed, sources told broadcaster NOS and the ANP newswire. Shopkeepers will be required to close their stores by 5 p.m., similar to rules during the evening lockdown late last year, but national rules will not be adjusted to allow hospitality entrepreneurs to open their doors again just yet.

Non-essential retailers were expected to be allowed to reopen on a limited basis by appointment only. The expectation is that they will still face restrictions on the number of visitors based on the amount of square meters of shopping space. According to ANP, customers will also be required to wear a mask while inside, and may be told to use hand sanitizer when entering a shop.

The change to the retail policy will be one of several announced at a press conference on Friday evening. Prime Minister Mark Rutte and new Health Minister Ernst Kuipers are expected to say that higher education students may return to classrooms, and the reopening of fitness centers and close-contact service providers, like hair salons.

Rutte and Kuipers discussed the issue with Cabinet ministers on Friday. During that meeting, they also decided not to reopen hospitality businesses just yet, ANP reported. The Cabinet will reassess that decision by January 24.

Should the coronavirus situation stay the same, or improve, bars, cafes, and restaurants will likely be allowed to reopen with some restrictions.