The Netherlands will reopen restaurants, theatres, museums and cinemas despite a massive wave of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
This was decided by the government in The Hague on Monday, according to media reports, because hospitalizations are only rising slightly.
Cafes and restaurants as well as cultural venues are to be allowed to reopen until 10 pm, but with restrictions such as mandatory masks and proof of vaccination.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte plans to announce the decision on Tuesday. The public is also set to be allowed back into sporting events such as football matches.
The closure of shops was already lifted over a week ago after a hard lockdown was imposed on December 18.
The pressure on the government to lift the restrictions has been huge.
There were protests from entrepreneurs and the cultural sector with city mayors also calling for an end to the measures given restaurants are open in neighbouring Germany and Belgium.
The number of new infections continues to rise rapidly. By Monday, 65,000 new infections had been registered in 24 hours in the Netherlands.
There are probably more, as the health authorities' computers can no longer process the high number of positive test results.
The incidence rate over the past seven days is almost 2,000 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants.
