The Netherlands has entered a strict lockdown as Omicron cases continue to spread right across Europe
Indoor gatherings will be capped at two visitors per household, with this number increasing to four over the Christmas period.
Non-essential retail, hospitality venues and cultural institutions will also be closed from Monday, and schools will shift to remote learning until January 9.
The nation’s Prime Minister says the lockdown is unavoidable and a failure to act now will lead to an unimaginable strain on the healthcare system.
Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, the Health Secretary is not ruling out imposing restrictions before Christmas.
Omicron now accounts for around 60 percent of all Covid cases in England.
These comments come just hours after London Mayor also raised the alarm on this new variant, declaring a “major incident” in the capital due to rapidly rising case numbers.
