Yesterday it already leaked that the Cabinet is heading for a partial reopening: Education (MBO, HBO and University) will be opened, sports will be allowed again, and the store and hairdresser can be visited by appointment. Exact details and rules will be announced later, but it is clear that now OMT considers it too early to open catering and cultural establishments simultaneously.

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“This move is too scary,” Says a source from The Hague, suggesting that pollution numbers would only rise further if relaxation was eased. Since the omikron variant is less troublesome, the government dares to take it anyway. “But the numbers will increase.”

There is criticism in cultural institutions, cafes and restaurants: businessmen are fed up, demanding reopening and threatening to rebel. Stores can receive customers by appointment. This is also with us and is called a hold, which can be safely entered one-on-one”, says Chairman Robert Willemsen of Koninklijke Horeca Nederland. “I’m afraid there are too many frogs that we can’t keep in the cockpit. We are the only country in closed Europe.”

Although Justice Minister Dylan Yeilgöz Earlier this week For a while, she seemed skeptical about whether strict enforcement should be applied, but after criticism about this, she said that the rules should already be observed. The Security Council also confirmed this after yesterday’s consultations. Entrepreneurs who nevertheless open their doors will first receive a warning or a fine. President Hubert Burles said that in extreme cases, the case could be forced to close.

Justice Minister Yelgoz and Health Minister Kuipers addressed questions about enforcement among entrepreneurs ignoring coronavirus rules on Wednesday:

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