CURFEW: At least until February 9th, the Dutch will not be able to go out between 9 pm and 4.30 am to try and stem coronavirus epidemic
You have to go back to World War II to find any trace of such a measure in the Netherlands. In order to fight against the spread of coronavirus Covid-19, the country began a curfew at 9 pm on Saturday. It is forbidden to leave your home until 4.30 a., the measure having to be renewed every evening at least until February 9.
Any violator faces a fine of 95 euros, said the Dutch government. Certain exemptions are however possible, in particular for people returning from funerals or those having to work during the curfew, but on condition that they present a certificate of displacement. Dog owners are authorized to go out without having to present a certificate.
The British mutation at the heart of concerns
Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced Wednesday his intention to institute a curfew, before obtaining parliamentary approval the next day. The Prime Minister said this choice had been bolstered by “the British mutation and the very big concerns we all have”, referring to the new strain that has emerged in the UK. According to the Prime Minister, the curfew must avoid mandatory daytime confinement, while since the start of the health crisis, the Dutch have never had to justify their movements.
“It’s actually a lot better than having to stay home all the time. I think they just want to make sure that we don’t have to come to this, ”said Soya, 22, who was in The Hague central station area a few hours before the start of the cover. fire. “It’s a bit too strict a measure. It may be necessary, but the psychological state of people is not very good now. This will make things worse, ”on the contrary estimated Harris, 33, walking in front of the Binnenhof, the seat of the prime minister and parliament in The Hague.
“Curfew protest” first trend on Twitter
In addition to having raised the opposition of certain deputies, including the leader of the extreme right Geert Wilders, the curfew arouses the anger of part of the Dutch. On Saturday evening, the keyword “AvondklokProtest”, which translates to “Curfew Protest” appeared at the top of Twitter Netherlands trends.
Mark Rutte and his government resigned last week following a scandal over child benefits, but they will continue to run day-to-day business until the parliamentary elections, scheduled for March 17th.
