Prime Minister Rutte has announced this. “In fact, we are going into a partial lockdown”, he said at his press conference on Tuesday evening. He announced a series of strict measures, such as closure of the hospitality sector. There is no other way, was his message: the number of Covid-19 infections is rising far too fast.
The Cabinet wants to settle the ‘ongoing discussion’ about face masks once and for all. There will be a duty for everyone from the age of thirteen in all public indoor spaces such as shops, museums and theatres.
Between lectures
And yes, it will also be compulsory to wear a mask in secondary education, secondary vocational education and higher education. “In between classes or lectures, and if you walk around the library or canteen, mouth masks will soon be compulsory,” said Rutte.
Until that obligation has been laid down by law, there is already an ‘urgent recommendation’. Minister Van Engelshoven had already mentioned that on Monday, although that was not yet a formal announcement. She thought that universities and colleges of higher education would then change their own house rules. That proved not to be the case.
Responsibility
“Don’t be that stubborn person who pushes the rules to their limits,” Rutte said Tuesday evening. “Be that realistic Dutchman who stands up and takes responsibility when it comes down to it, and that is now.”
Were the previous measures not good enough? It turns out that people still get close to each other too often, Rutte said. “If you add it up, we haven’t done well enough together.”
HOP, Bas Belleman
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