All schools will remain closed until January. Photo: Depositphotos.com

The Netherlands locks in from 5 a.m. on December 19 amid concerns over the potential of the new Omicron variant crushing healthcare services. Here are the new rules in their entirety.

In fgeneral

Only essential stores – such as supermarkets, grocery stores and drugstores – will remain open.

Schools will close, along with bars, restaurants, cinemas, theaters, museums and concert halls.

The rules will apply provisionally until January 14.

Education

All schools will close from Monday morning until at least January 10, the first day after the Christmas holidays. This also applies to colleges and universities. The ministers will decide on January 3 to reopen schools.

After-school daycares will also close, but daycares will be available for vulnerable children and those whose parents have to go to work.

Shops, bars, restaurants and meeting places

All businesses are closed until January 14. The exceptions are supermarkets, grocery stores, opticians and hearing care professionals, libraries, gas stations, pharmacies, driving schools, lawyers and notaries.

Restaurants, bars and cafes will also close. Restaurants can deliver take out food.

Foreign markets can continue.

Contact professions, like hairdressers and beauty salons, will close, but physiotherapists will remain open.

Theaters, museums, cinemas and concert halls are closed. Events are not allowed. Non-essential stores can open for click and collect and returns.

Home and social life

The number of guests allowed in the house is reduced from four to two, with the exception of Christmas (December 24-26) and New Years holidays. Children under 13 are not included.

Groups of no more than two can meet outdoors, except on Christmas and New Years when the limit is four. This does not apply to people living in the same household.

Weddings and funerals can take place with a limit of 100 guests.

sport

All indoor sports halls and gymnasiums are closed. Swimming lessons can continue.

Organized training and amateur sports competitions are suspended. Adults can train outdoors on their own or in pairs.

Outdoor sports facilities may remain open from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Professional sports matches can be played without supporters, as before.

Children under 18 can continue to train outdoors and play matches at their own club.

To travel

No other travel restrictions, but Mark Rutte said travelers must follow the rules that apply to their destination – including the Netherlands. New quarantine rules and requirements may be applied.