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The Netherlands has announced that it will impose the isolation measure over Christmas due to concerns about the new variant of the coronavirus, Omicron.
Non-essential stores, schools, bars, restaurants and other public facilities will be closed until at least mid-January. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the new measures were “inevitable”.
These are the toughest measures any state has taken so far because of the new Omicron variant.
Countries across Europe have tightened restrictions as Omicroni, a variant with many mutations, is spreading across the continent.
The new rules in the Netherlands, which will take effect on Sunday, were taken after a meeting between the Dutch Government and health experts.
“The Netherlands is closing once again,” Rutte told a news conference.
Experts say Omicroni is expected to become the dominant variant in the Netherlands during the period between Christmas and New Year.
For weeks there have been measures to restrict movement and close cultural facilities in order to curb the spread of the new variant.
Since the pandemic began, the National Institute of Public Health in the Netherlands has reported over 2.9 million cases of coronavirus and over 20,000 deaths./ REL
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