Dutch announce Christmas lockdown to slow the spread of Omicron

Dutch COVID protest
(Image credit: PHIL NIJHUIS/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

The Dutch government announced Saturday that schools, universities, and all non-essential businesses must close until Jan. 14 starting Sunday, The Associated Press reports.

"The Netherlands is going into lockdown again from tomorrow," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Saturday night. He said the lockdown was necessary "because of the fifth wave caused by the Omicron variant that is bearing down on us."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Grayson Quay

Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-GazetteModern AgeThe American ConservativeThe Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.