DON’T MISS
IamExpat FairIamExpat Job BoardIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Expat Info
Dutch news & articles
Dutch government’s plan for lifting coronavirus lockdown
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy

Dutch government’s plan for lifting coronavirus lockdown

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:



Related Stories

September 2022: 7 things expats in the Netherlands need to knowSeptember 2022: 7 things expats in the Netherlands need to know
Dutch mayors and municipalities criticise plan for permanent coronavirus lawDutch mayors and municipalities criticise plan for permanent coronavirus law
Lack of preparation for COVID-19 led to silent disaster in Dutch nursing homesLack of preparation for COVID-19 led to silent disaster in Dutch nursing homes
Dutchies blame fellow countrymen for ongoing coronavirus crisisDutchies blame fellow countrymen for ongoing coronavirus crisis
September 2021: 6 things changing in the NetherlandsSeptember 2021: 6 things changing in the Netherlands
Dutch government aid prevented 230.000 layoffs and 5.300 bankruptciesDutch government aid prevented 230.000 layoffs and 5.300 bankruptcies
Events industry calls for compensation and change to coronavirus restrictionsEvents industry calls for compensation and change to coronavirus restrictions
Dutch government’s access test policy costs taxpayers 200.000 euros per dayDutch government’s access test policy costs taxpayers 200.000 euros per day
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usSitemap
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat FairsWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Jan 28, 2021
Victoria Séveno
Victoria grew up in Amsterdam, before moving to the UK to study English and Related Literature at the University of York and completing her NCTJ course at the Press Association in London. She has a love for all things movies, animals, and food. Read more

Back in October 2020, a so-called roadmap of the government’s plans for future coronavirus measures in the Netherlands leaked, revealing which restrictions would be introduced if the number of infections continued to rise. 

Now that spring is around the corner and the number of infections, hospitalisations and deaths seem to be falling, a new roadmap has revealed the government’s plans for lifting lockdown. 

New roadmap for lifting Dutch coronavirus lockdown

If this downward trend continues into February, the cabinet’s priority will be to reopen primary schools and childcare facilities to all children - not just children of key workers. The next step will be to lift the national curfew. Only then will secondary schools be allowed to reopen, followed by shops and contact professions (i.e. hairdressers). While the cabinet is making plans to lift the lockdown, there is still no indication of when the restrictions will be lifted. 

The Dutch government is set to further discuss this plan on Friday. Of course, it is possible that this plan will change, and it is worth noting that the Outbreak Management Team (OMT) would like to see the cabinet take a different approach. The experts suggest waiting slightly longer before lifting the restrictions and then lifting multiple restrictions in one go. On Friday, the OMT will also meet to discuss the spread of the British variant, the possibility of opening primary schools on February 9, and the impact the national curfew has had on the spread of COVID-19. 

While the number of cases does appear to be falling, the National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM) notes that the Netherlands is still in the “very serious” phase (number of new infections is high, strict national measures are necessary) with an average of 4.700 new infections reported every day. 

Will the new and controversial curfew have any effect?

Since the national curfew came into effect on January 23, towns and cities across the country have faced protests and riots. While the Dutch police had said the unrest could last for weeks, on Wednesday, (riot) police encountered the first quiet night since Saturday. 

In spite of the fact that many had discussed taking to the streets again on social media, streets across the Netherlands were quiet. 25 arrests were made in Rotterdam, mostly due to people failing to adhere to the curfew or show legitimate ID, and local police called it a “manageable evening.” One 14-year-old was arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire was set in Rotterdam’s Plaswijckpark. 

While the unrest seems to have settled (for now), there are still concerns as to whether the 9pm to 4.30am curfew will have any effect. In France, where a 6pm to 6am curfew has been in place nationally for at least two weeks, the government has acknowledged the measure is having little to no effect: “There is an effect, but it is not enough... The number of infections is high, increasing, and the pressure on hospitals is increasing,” spokesperson Gabriel Attal told the local media. It’s left to be seen whether the Dutch curfew will have a similar effect.

By Victoria Séveno