From Saturday, the port of the mask will be compulsory again in the Netherlands in the stores or for the “contact” professions, such as hairdressers and masseurs.
Le Monde with AFP
The Netherlands face a soaring contamination at SARS-COV-2 and took new sanitary restrictions on November 2nd. Greece, which also knows a resurgence of contaminations, has taken measures for non-vaccinated on its side.
The pandemic has made more than 5 million people in the world since the end of December 2019, according to a balance sheet established by the France-Presse Agency from official sources on Tuesday at 1 pm. The United States is the most endangered country with 747,033 dead, followed by Brazil (607,922), India (458 880), Mexico (288,464) and Russia (240,871).
These figures are based on the daily official balance sheets of each country, excluding the upward revisions made a posteriori by certain statistical agencies. Taking into account the overmortality directly and indirectly linked to COVID-19, the World Health Organization believes that the overall pandemic assessment could be two to three times higher.
- In the Netherlands, the port of the mask again mandatory in public establishments closed
The Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced Tuesday a series of measures to counter the increase in the number of contamination cases, including the return of the mandatory port of the mask in public closed establishments such as stores. The port of the mask will also be compulsory again for the “contact” professions, such as hairdressers and masseurs, with the exception of sex workers.
The government has also reintroduced the 1.5-meter social distancing rule, and the obligation to present the sanitary pass will be extended to places like museums and restaurant terraces, “said Mr. Rutte during A press conference in The Hague. The Prime Minister advises his fellow citizens to privilege teleworking and avoid taking transportation at peak hours.
The Netherlands recorded on average 7,711 new cases a day last week, a figure up 39% compared to the previous week, announced Tuesday the health authorities. “It will not surprise anyone we have a difficult message tonight. The number of contaminations and admissions to the hospital is increasing rapidly,” said Rutte, stating that the new restrictions will come into force on Saturday.
The Hague will also introduce a law allowing employers to request the presentation of the health care to their staff.
Athens takes new measures for non-vaccinated
Faced with the recrudescence of the number of contamination cases, non-vaccinated persons in Greece will have to present negative PCR or antigenic tests to go to public administrations, stores or banks, announced Tuesday the Ministry of Health.
Private and public employees who are not vaccinated should also have negative Tests at COVID-19, which they will have to pay themselves. Fines for shops and restaurants that do not respect the measures imposed by the government are doubled to 5,000 euros. “Our main weapon against the pandemic is the vaccine”, insisted on Tuesday the Minister of Health, Thanos Plevris.
The minister also recommended that all those who had received their last dose of vaccine more than six months ago to be injected a third dose. Currently, 63% of the general population is vaccinated by department. Tuesday, in Greece, 6,700 cases have been recorded, a record since the beginning of the pandemic, and 59 people died of CVIV-19.