New rules in Netherlands to handle virus surge
Many residents in the Netherlands will, for the very first time, be advised to wear a face mask in shops as the united states introduces a variety of measures to regulate another coronavirus wave.
Compared to its neighbours, the Netherlands had largely avoided strict restrictions as yet.
This week nearly 3,000 infections daily are being recorded in the country of 17 million people.
The new measures begins on Tuesday and last for at least three weeks.
"We are doing our best, but the virus does better," Health Minister Hugo de Jong admitted on Monday.
In a televised press conference, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte explained that the problem in the country's three major cities - Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague - had become "serious" and required urgent action.
From Tuesday people should avoid non-essential travel between the three cities, he said.
Restaurants and bars will be asked to close by 22:00 - a move that echoes other Europe including the UK, Spain and France that have introduced similar earlier closing times.
People will be advised to home based; social gatherings inside people's homes should never exceed three people, and fans won't be permitted to attend sports events.
Mask-wearing had been compulsory on public transport, however the Dutch government had up to now avoided suggesting customers wear one inside shops.
The new measures advise that shoppers in the three major cities should cover their face from Tuesday. Shops will be permitted to deny entry to those that usually do not wear a mask.
"Naturally these measures will have negative monetary consequences," the prime minister said. "But allowing the virus to flare up could have a great deal larger consequences, including harm to the economy."
On Monday the National Institute for Health reported 2,914 new cases, after the country broke its record for new infections on Sunday with 2,995 cases.
Earlier in the year the Dutch government adopted a technique of "intelligent lockdown" that avoided strict national restrictions and didn't shut down as much of public life as in lots of other countries.
At the time Mr Rutte described the Netherlands as a "grown-up country" where persons were glad to be "treated as adults".
