Netherlands Faces Rapid Spread of COVID-19 Delta Variant... Reevaluation of Restriction Measures Underway

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[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] The Dutch government is considering reintroducing restrictions due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant.

According to dpa news agency on the 9th (local time), the daily new COVID-19 cases in the Netherlands reached about 5,500 the previous day, the highest number since May 14.

According to the international statistics site Worldometer, the number of new cases in the country was 825 a week ago on the 1st.

This is due to the spread of the Delta variant, first identified in India.

Accordingly, the Dutch government is reviewing the introduction of new restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19. Local media reported that the government is considering measures such as closing nightclubs and canceling events held over several days.

The Netherlands implemented strict lockdown measures, including closing all restaurants and bars from mid-October last year and introducing a nighttime curfew for the first time since World War II in January.

However, as new cases decreased and vaccination rates increased, restrictions were gradually eased from the end of April, and most restrictions were lifted by the end of last month. Currently, masks are only required when using public transportation.

dpa news agency reported that a significant number of recent cases are among young people, many of whom are believed to have been infected in bars or nightclubs.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.