Netherlands extends ban on major public events until September 1, some schools to re-open in May

The Netherlands is extending by three months its ban on major public events, including professional sports and music festivals, until September 1, to prevent a resurgence of coronavirus infections. However, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Tuesday an “encouraging” slowdown in the spread of the virus would enable elementary schools and daycare centers to partly re-open on May 11.

Limitations on the easing of restrictive measures are necessary to prevent a new wave of Covid-19 cases, according to Rutte. “It’s better to be cautious now than to have regrets later,” he told a televised press conference.

“I would love to say we could go a lot further. But that is very scary and dangerous. We see a little improvement in the data, but just imagine that we would relax some measures, causing the virus to peak again. That’s something we all absolutely don’t want,” the PM said.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Netherlands rose by 729 during 24 hours to 34,134, health authorities said on Tuesday, with 165 further deaths, Reuters reported.