Credit: Holland.com

The Dutch government has decided to impose a hard lockdown, for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cabinet of Prime Minister Mark Rutte has decided to close theaters, concert halls, opera houses, schools, and all non-essential shops in a bid to curb the explosive spread of COVID-19 in the country. The measures will take effect on Dec. 15 2020 at midnight to prevent a run on shops.

Citizens will have to stay in their homes as much as possible. The hard lockdown will last until Jan. 19, 2021.

The cabinet is taking these drastic measures because the number of infections has risen sharply as of late and the pressure on the healthcare system is becoming too great. The cabinet hoped to reduce the number of infections to 3,600 per day in mid-December, but the country logged 9,884 cases on Dec. 13, 2020.