On the street opposite, Rémi Oerlemans, 41, owns the Borrl Bar. For the fourth time since the start of the pandemic, the zoo’s gates have been closed. Shouting school children have been replaced by the high-pitched calls of gibbons. In the leafy Plantage district, Amsterdam’s 19th-century zoo Artis attracts at least 5,000 visitors on a normal day. They hope the government will give them a subsidy for this, the so-called “refrigerator allowance”. Supplies stocked for Christmas dinners are likely to go in the bin. For restaurant owners, December is the most crucial month. It is unlikely that they will get rid of their stock in January. In the Kalverstraat, Amsterdam’s equivalent to Oxford Street, posters for the year-end sale that had just started have already made way for signs reading: “Closed due to the lockdown”. Ministers in emergency Cabinet to discuss Christmas Covid measures as Omicron cases rise 20 December, 2021 Protests in Europe as more countries introduce Christmas restrictions to stop spread of Omicron 19 December, 2021 Scientists call for pre-Christmas clampdown on Omicron as Javid says it's 'time to be cautious' 19 December, 2021 But the damage is even more significant for businesses, already struggling after a dismal 2021. We must act now to prevent as much of the worst as possible,” said Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Saturday night.ĭutch residents are facing a bleak holiday month. Yet the government wants to exclude all potential risks: “Omicron is spreading even faster than we feared.
Amsterdam’s Kalverstraat, where sale signs are being replaced by signs saying ‘closed for lockdown’ (PHOTO Stefan de Vries) There have been fewer hospital and ICU admissions after a night-time lockdown came into effect last month. For three weeks, the number of Covid infections has been decreasing. The strict measures have left Dutch people baffled. Citizens can still go outside and travel, but they will have nothing to do other than to take a walk: all non-essential shops, cinemas, theatres, sports clubs, bars, restaurants, and museums will stay closed till at least 14 January. Since Sunday morning, The Netherlands has been under lockdown again.
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