Only food stores, pharmacies, banks open in hard lockdown: report

Prime Minister Mark Rutte is expected to announce a hard lockdown for the Netherlands this evening. Almost everything, including non-essential stores, schools, daycare centers, theaters and museums will close, sources told NOS.

The heading of "non-essential stores" is expected to include basically everything except supermarkets, other food stores, banks and pharmacies. All other stores, like garden centers, hardware stores, and fashion outlets, will have to close.

High-contact professions, like hair salons and massage parlors, will also have to close. As will gyms. Medical high-contact professions like dentists and physiotherapists can remain open for the time being, the broadcaster's sources said.

Primary schools, secondary schools and daycare centers must close from Wednesday, according to the broadcaster. Like in the first "intelligent lockdown" in the spring, only parents with vital professions will have access to childcare.

Netherlands residents will be called upon to stay home as much as possible. People will be allowed a maximum of two visitors, both inside and outside, with the exception of Christmas - then you can still have three guests, as Rutte promised in parliament last week.

Hotels can stay open, but will not be allowed to serve food.

Prime Minister Rutte will address the nation from his office in the Torentje in The Hague at 7:00 p.m. this evening.