Over two years after the outbreak of the COVID-19 in the Netherlands, the nation is dropping all its remaining restrictions on Wednesday.
From Wednesday, people will no longer have to get tested for Covid-19 before getting access to a large event or a big nightclub. The obligation to wear a face mask on public transport and the recommendation to telework are also dropped.
As per the statement released by the Government, “Coronavirus infections have risen again in recent weeks, but the current virus variant is less pathogenic, and the number of people admitted to the ICU is limited.”
There will be no more locations where the Covid Safe Ticket (CST) applies, but the Government still advises people not to delete the app from their phones. “A valid QR code is still necessary for travel or for visits to restaurants, cinemas or theatres in several countries, for example.”
However, people entering the Netherlands from other EU countries will no longer require to have a QR code to show that they are vaccinated, recently tested negative or recovered from an infection. This also applies to countries that are not part of the EU but are part of the Schengen area: Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
While the nation has not set a date to consider the epidemiological situation, the authorities stress that the situation is being monitored closely.
The Government highlighted that people who have symptoms should still stay at home and get tested. In general, the authorities call on the population to show consideration for each other and, for example, to keep their distance if someone asks for it.
In Belgium, nearly all measures were lifted when the country moved into ‘code yellow’ in early March, but the face mask obligation on public transport remains in force for the time being. The next Consultative Committee to assess the current situation was initially set to take place this Friday (25 March), but was postponed to the second half of the April, after the Easter holidays.
