(Credit: Arenda Oomen)

The government of the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has decided to impose a new partial lockdown as the country sees record numbers of new daily infections.

Per the government’s plan, bars, restaurants and hotels will have to close at 8 p.m., and non-essential shops will have to be closed by 6 p.m. Gatherings at home will be limited to a maximum of four people, all sporting events will be held behind closed doors, and home working will be strongly encouraged.

However, theaters and opera houses will remain open. The lockdown will begin on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021 and will last for a period of three weeks.

The Netherlands has logged 16,364 new positive COVID-19 tests in the last 24 hours, which is a pandemic record. The country has 82.4 percent of residents over age of 12 who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.