Dutch impose new tighter lockdown amid spiking infections

By MIKE CORDER
Associated Press

AMSTERDAM (AP) — The Netherlands has moved into a tougher lockdown that was announced amid spiking infection rates even before the country recorded its first confirmed cases of the new, more highly transmissible omicron variant. Bars, restaurants, non-essential stores, cinemas and theaters were among the public places forced to shut from 5 p.m. until 5 a.m. under the new lockdown measures. The restrictions began Sunday, hours after Health Minister Hugo de Jonge announced that at least 13 travelers who arrived at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on Friday have tested positive for the new variant. He urged all travelers who came from southern Africa in the last week to get tested for the new virus variant.