Dutch curfew could shift forward to 10 o’clock; “Serious option” says Justice Min.
NL TimesThe caretaker Cabinet was expected to announce a slight relaxation of the mandatory nightly curfew in place as part of the coronavirus lockdown measures. Instead of starting at 9 p.m., the curfew could move up one hour to begin at 10 p.m., broadcaster NOS reported on Monday. A decision will be announced by Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Health Minister Hugo de Jonge during a press conference Tuesday at 7 p.m. After meeting with the mayors who represent the country’s 25 security regions on Monday evening, Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus said it was a “serious option.” The mayors who were in favor of the shift noted that not only are daylight hours increasing, but also daylight saving time is about to start. The current number of Covid-19 patients in Dutch hospitals was close to 2,100 on Monday, 15 percent higher since Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s last press conference on coronavirus measures on March 8. The pharmaceutical company said it would also fail to deliver over 60 percent of vaccine doses it committed to send the European Economic Area from April through the end of June.