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VIRUS-NETHERLANDS-EDUCATION
Dutch to start reopening schools in May after virus shutdown
THE HAGUE, April 22, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Dutch primary schools will start to reopen on May 11 but other measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic will remain, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Tuesday.
Following a month-long closure, pupils will be allowed back on a “part time” basis at primary schools and nurseries, Rutte told a press conference after a cabinet meeting on the measures.
The Netherlands, which has opted for what Rutte calls an “intelligent lockdown”, is following the lead of Germany and some Scandinavian nations on slowly reopening schools.
“These are difficult considerations, but caution is better than regrets afterwards,” Rutte said.
The closure of restaurants, cafes and sex clubs was extended by three weeks from April 28 until May 19, Rutte said. Cannabis cafes that were originally shut in March have been allowed to serve take-away patrons.
A ban on large gatherings was also extended until September 1, meaning that the Dutch football season will be unable to restart until then.
Rutte said the cabinet had taken the decision on primary schools because government scientists had concluded that young children seemed to be less likely to contract and transmit the virus.
However primary schools must halve the size of all groups, meaning that children will attend school around half the time, while the rest will be done by online teaching, the government said.
Secondary schools may be allowed to return from June 1.
The anti-virus measures in the Netherlands are less stringent than in countries such as Italy, Spain and France and do not require people to stay home, although Dutch authorities are urging strict social distancing measures.
The Netherlands has reported 3,916 confirmed coronavirus deaths and 34,134 confirmed cases. Rutte said hospitalisations were decreasing.
BSS/AFP/MMA/1005HRS