According to the new curfew rules issued by the cabinet, “If you have to be outside during curfew, you will need a completed form.” Here’s where you can find the form and everything else you need to know about it.

The cabinet confirmed yesterday that a curfew (avondklok) will be implemented throughout the country over the hours of 9 PM to 4:30 AM, in effect from Saturday, January 23.

The Rijksoverheid (central government) has created a self-declaration form that must be filled out and on your person if you have to be out during the quiet hours. “You must have this with you and be able to show it to the police or special investigating officer (BOA),” states the website.

How it works

The self-declaration form is currently ready to download in Dutch but will soon be available in 11 languages. You can either:

• Print it and fill it out by hand;
• Download the form, fill it out digitally, and then print it;
• Fill out the form on your phone or tablet and show it there;
• Or, fill out the form on your computer and show it on your phone or tablet.

The simple form requires your address, date of birth, and your reason for being outside during curfew.

When are curfew exceptions made?

There are a handful of exceptional situations that would require a person to be out during the curfew hours:

• In case of an emergency;
• If you, another person in need, or an animal needs urgent medical help;
• If your employer requires you to go out for work;
• Travelling abroad or to the Caribbean part of the Netherlands and returning to the Netherlands;
• Walking a dog on a leash;
• If you are on the road in connection with a funeral and can prove this;
• If you are on the road in connection with a summons from a judge, public prosecutor, or objection and appeal committee and can prove this;
• If you are on the road in connection with an exam that you have to take for your education at the MBO, HBO, or WO and you can prove this;
• If you’re on the road because you have been invited to a live evening program and can demonstrate this with an invitation from the broadcaster;

In the event of an emergency, you don’t need to have the form. You also won’t be required to carry it when walking a dog or returning from abroad. However, if you are coming to the Netherlands from abroad, you must show proof (a ticket, for example) and explain why you’re travelling during the curfew.

Employer’s declaration curfew

If your work requires you to be out during curfew, you will still need the self-declaration form, in addition to an employer’s curfew declaration. Your employer will need to fill in their name, function, company name, address, and phone number.

Only people with the following professions are exempt from this mandate: police, fire and ambulance workers, train conductors, metro and tram drivers, bus drivers, taxi drivers, and aircraft crew, and passenger shipping crew.

What do you think of the Netherlands’ new curfew? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

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Wednesday’s press conference left many of us in the Netherlands on the edge of our seats. Will there or won’t there be a curfew? Our questions have now been answered — the Dutch parliament has given the seal of approval for the “avondklok.”

Following a debate that lasted most of today, the Dutch parliament has decided that a curfew will be in place throughout the Netherlands from the hours of 9:00 PM to 4:30 AM. It will be implemented within the next few days (by Saturday, at the earliest) and last until at least February 9.

This comes as little surprise, with Rutte all but confirming that the curfew will be approved by parliament during yesterday’s press conference. “Nobody wants a curfew — but we’re getting it.”

The curfew will now come into effect a half an hour later than initially expected, yesterday, it was believed that the curfew would begin at 8:30 PM. As a result of the debate, Rutte has now decided to accept the slightly later starting time.

Who will be exempted from curfew?

Not everyone will have to abide by this new restriction, for example, your work may be deemed essential during these hours. However, if this is the case you will need to prove it. Below are the list of those who may be exempted from following the Dutch curfew:

• Your work has been deemed essential/necessary. In this case, your employer will be required to prepare a statement explaining why it is necessary for you to be out after curfew — for example, you may need to be on the streets after curfew to commute to/from your workplace.
• Assisting a person in need of help. You may also break curfew if you are required to assist someone in need. This has been deemed “informal care.”
• Medical help. If you or your pet are in need of medical help then you may break curfew to receive care.
• To attend a funeral. You may also break curfew in order to attend a funeral.
• To sit an exam. If you’re expecting to take any late night exams, fear not. You will be exempted from curfew in order to attend the exam as long as it concerns practical education, secondary education, vocational education or higher education.
• A necessary trip abroad. You may break curfew if you are taking a necessary trip abroad. In this case, the trip must be due to instances such as family circumstances and not leisure. 
• Taking part in a live evening TV programme. Perhaps the most bizarre of all exceptions, the curfew may be broken if you are taking part in a live TV show.
• If you are a member of law enforcement or emergency services such as the fire brigade and ambulances. People who work in these areas will be automatically exempt from curfew and will not need to carry a form.
• Travelling from abroad. If you are travelling from abroad during curfew hours you will be exempt so long as you can prove that you are currently travelling and that you must be on the streets at this time.
• If you are homeless. It goes without saying that if you do not have a home to remain inside, you will not be fined for breaking curfew.
• Walking your pet. You may break curfew if you need to take your pet outside for some exercise/to have a bathroom break.
• In the case of a personal disaster. This one remains quite broad. If you or someone in your family is in an emergency, or if there is a serious family circumstance, you may break quarantine.

How do you feel about a curfew? Do you think these exceptions are justified? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below! 

Feature Image: peter hessels/Flickr/CC2.0.

In today’s press conference, Prime Minister Mark Rutte delivered the news we’ve all been anticipating: a curfew will be issued across the country — that is, if parliament supports it after a debate tomorrow. Home visits will also be reduced to one guest per day, and new travel restrictions will be implemented.

This announcement comes as the coronavirus figures in the Netherlands have started to gradually decline, but the more contagious new variant threatens to spread throughout the country at a rapid rate. “We need to counter that,” Rutte says. “We’re all tired, me too. But we need to counter it and we need to have some perspective for a return to normal life (which will happen).”

Curfew

“Nobody wants a curfew — but we’re getting it,” says Rutte. The plan is not technically official yet, as it still needs to pass in parliament. However, the Outbreak Management Team (OMT) has recommended a curfew and this is backed by the cabinet.

The curfew will be in place from the hours of 8:30 PM to 4:30 AM. It will be implemented within a few days of parliament approval (by Saturday, at the earliest) and last until at least February 9.

The restriction will apply to everyone but will make a few exceptions, such as for medical emergencies and essential work. People outside past curfew will need to carry a signed statement as to why they are outside, such as a letter from an employer. Any falsification will be considered an offence. Additionally, supermarkets and essential stores will have to close earlier.

“We will enforce the curfew,” says Rutte. “There will be a fine of €95 if you are caught. If you present a falsified document or something it’s fraud and you will be persecuted.”

The prime minister offers a couple of clarifications: “You can still walk the dog,” and food delivery workers are exempt from the curfew (you can still order takeout).

The (OMT) has said that they are optimistic that once the curfew is implemented, home infections should be reduced by 8-13%.

Reduced visitations

The prime minister also confirmed that the number of guests allowed in the home will be reduced from two to just one, effective immediately.

Earlier this week, health economist and epidemiologist Koen Pouwels explained that there is too much risk under the current measures allowing two guests per household “because, in theory, you can infect 14 people per week.”

Another effort to reduce person-to-person contact regards the number of guests permitted at a funeral, which will be reduced from 100 to 50. This measure takes effect from Monday, January 25.

Travel restrictions

Prime Minister Rutte also states that all incoming travellers will need to provide a negative PCR test upon arrival in the Netherlands AND a negative rapid test.

Additionally, the 10-day quarantine period will actually be enforced for incoming travellers, though the details are not yet clear. People with a positive test will also be legally obligated to stay in quarantine and not go out. Up until now, the Dutch government had issued “strong advice” for incoming travellers to quarantine but have now determined the need to tighten up.

Flight ban

The cabinet has investigated the feasibility of instituting travel bans to the Netherlands from the UK, South Africa, and South America, due to the high infection rates in these areas. They’ve determined that all air traffic to and from these countries will be grounded from January 23.

There are just a few exceptions to this rule: medical travel, repatriating Dutch citizens, and cargo.

De Jonge: “We need to do everything possible now.”

Health Minister De Jonge is extremely concerned about the new coronavirus variant. He says that in order to cope with this horrible threat, we need to secure the best “starting position” possible for when the more contagious variant becomes mainstream.

Although he delivers a sombre message, De Jonge is holding high hopes for vaccination programs, more testing, and tighter quarantines. He emphasises that increased testing will help with reopening schools again.

Vaccination

Some updates have been made to the vaccination plan for the Netherlands. Now, Pfizer’s second vaccination will be injected in the sixth week instead of the fourth. Additionally, there will be fewer limits on the required supply for the vaccines. The intention is that more vaccines will be readily available.

To stay up to date with all the latest coronavirus news in the Netherlands, follow DutchReview on Facebook.

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The RIVM has released this week’s coronavirus infection numbers and while they continue to drop — this is not enough. Experts fear that the new variant of the virus could make matters worse. 

This week saw 38,776 people become infected with coronavirus. This is almost 10,000 cases fewer than last weeks figure of 48,398, however, the question is whether this decline remains too slow.

Hospitalisations

This week also saw hospitalisations drop to 1,348 compared with 1,503 last week. The number of people in hospitals remains an issue for experts. They fear that hospitals may quickly become overwhelmed should the new variant take hold, as it did in the UK.

Deaths

A total of 608 people died from coronavirus this week. This marks a slight decrease in the number of deaths, which stood at 743 last week.

Press conference concerning new measures announced

Earlier today, the Dutch cabinet announced that it would hold a press conference concerning new coronavirus measures on Wednesday at 1 PM.

Little is known of what will be said, but it is expected the cabinet will touch on the issue of a night curfew, visitor restrictions and geographical limits.

Curfew and stricter measures inevitable, experts say

According to experts, stricter measures in the Netherlands are still necessary. They believe that whilst the number of coronavirus infections is slowly going down at the moment, the British variant continues to circulate and this could lead to another rise in numbers.

“Although the lockdown does work, we expect that with only the current measures the infections will increase again because of that British variant,” epidemiologist and behavioural scientist Esther Metting tells the NOS.

Health economist and epidemiologist, Koen Pouwels, conducts large-scale coronavirus research at Oxford University. He believes that the Dutch need to get ahead of the new variant while they still can — and the only way to do this is through stricter coronavirus measures.

“You have to take a measure that reduces the number of contacts. That could be a curfew.” It could also be a reduction in the maximum number of guests allowed per household. Two guests are currently permitted per day but Pouwels says, “I think that’s quite a lot because, in theory, you can infect 14 people per week.”

Variant on the rise

Metting also tells the NOS that the incidence rate of the variant is on the rise. Of those who test positive for coronavirus in the Netherlands, a random selection is tested for the new variant of the virus. The number of these samples that test positive for the variant has now risen.

“In the Netherlands, we test randomly for the British variant and you can see that in three weeks the presence of the variant has gone from 1 to 12%,” Metting says.

Follow DutchReview on facebook for the latest news and coronavirus updates. 

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The Dutch cabinet has announced that a press conference will be held tomorrow afternoon to discuss new coronavirus measures. 

The conference will be held early tomorrow afternoon, Minister for Health, Hugo De Jonge has announced. Whilst the minister did not indicate exactly what new measures will be discussed, it is likely the topics of curfew and a visitor restriction will be addressed.

Dutch corona conference planned for tomorrow, with extra lockdown expected. “The cabinet is heading towards introducing a curfew and restricting visits and meetings. Geographical limitation is also an option… with residents allowed to move in a limited radius around their home” https://t.co/m4THUR3WPM

— Ben Coates (@bencoates1) January 19, 2021

Experts believe stricter measures and curfew inevitable

Dutch experts are now saying that stricter measures in the Netherlands are to be expected in spite of a reduction in coronavirus infections. This is due to the continued circulation of the new variant of coronavirus throughout the country, they say.

“Although the lockdown does work, we expect that with only the current measures the infections will increase again because of that British variant,” epidemiologist and behavioural scientist Esther Metting tells the NOS.

Health economist and epidemiologist Koen Pouwels conducts large-scale coronavirus research at Oxford University, he believes the Netherlands needs to get ahead of the new variant in order to avoid a situation similar to that of the UK. “The advantage for the Netherlands is that it can keep an eye on the new variant,” says Powels.

Continued spread of the variant

The cause for concern stems from a noted increase in the number of people who test positive for the new variant in the Netherlands. Experts have been testing random samples from positive coronavirus tests. They found that the percentage of these positives that can be attributed to the new strain has significantly increased.

Epidemiologist and behavioural scientist, Esther Metting, explains this to the NOS. “In the Netherlands, we test randomly for the British variant and you can see that in three weeks the presence of the variant has gone from 1 to 12%.”

For this reason, it is likely that the Dutch cabinet have decided to take action — even if it’s just through words. What comes next will be determined tomorrow.

Do you think extra coronavirus restrictions are necessary? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

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