Cabinet to extend evening lockdown beyond December 18

There is a good chance that the evening lockdown will remain in force after Saturday, December 18, to slow down the spread of the coronavirus. Insiders confirmed a report about this from De Telegraaf. That would mean that most sectors will still have to close at 5:00 p.m. for the time being; only supermarkets and drugstores are allowed to remain open until 8:00 p.m.

At the same time, sources point out that there is still movement in various areas and that there are still many consultations in the coming days. The Outbreak Management Team (OMT) will also meet on Friday to advise the caretaker Cabinet. There is also uncertainty about the Omicron variant, which has now been discovered in a total of almost 1,800 people in 57 countries.

No decision has yet been made on whether people will be allowed to receive more than four people per day during Christmas. For several weeks, a maximum of four visitors has been the urgent advice. And everyone is urged to do a self-test before visiting or receiving visitors.

Insiders say that a possible extension of the Christmas holiday at primary schools is also not yet definitively off the table. The government's commitment is to keep schools open, Education Minister Arie Slob tweeted on Thursday. There are many infections in schools, and the OMT advised the Cabinet to start the school holidays earlier.

The Cabinet could decide to introduce the coronavirus access pass for non-essential shops like clothing stores and hairdressers. Customers must then show a QR code like visitors already have to do in the catering industry, theaters, and (sports) events. The legislation to make this possible has been adopted by parliament and the Senate over the past weeks. The Cabinet must first pilot a ministerial regulation through parliament to introduce this measure.

The bill for a coronavirus access pass in the workplace has been postponed for consideration in parliament, as has the proposal for a 2G policy. The last measure means unprotected people will no longer receive a QR code; a negative test is insufficient.

On Sunday, part of the Cabinet will meet again at the Catshuis for coronavirus consultation. The mayors are also still talking about the coronavirus measures. The Cabinet is expected to hold a press conference on Tuesday.