Covid: Holland approves curfew, the first since World War II

2021-01-21T19:22:50.110Z

The Dutch Parliament has approved a curfew from 9pm to 4.30am, the first since World War II, to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The government's proposal called for the curfew to take effect half an hour earlier, at 8:30 pm. "It is a very tough measure but we are at a crossroads", said Prime Minister Mark Rutte, "the British variant leaves us no alternatives". The exceptions provided for are medical emergencies, work needs and walks to take the dog out. Violators will face a fine of 95 euros. The Netherlands, with 17 million inhabitants, has so far recorded 945,880 infections from Covid-19 and 13,439 deaths.