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Dutch extend coronavirus curbs until February 9: PM

The Netherlands is extending coronavirus restrictions until February 9 as infections are still high and the government is “very concerned” about the UK variant of the disease, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Tuesday.

“I don’t think I am going to surprise you this evening, the lockdown is extended by three weeks,” Rutte told a televised news conference about the curbs, which were due to end on January 19.

“Almost everyone will understand that there was no other choice.”

The government is also considering imposing an evening curfew and has asked public health authorities for their advice on the matter, Rutte said.

Under the current restrictions, the toughest yet in the Netherlands, schools have been closed, all but essential shops are closed, and people are banned from having more than two people in their homes.

The Dutch premier said reports about the spread of the British variant in the UK and Ireland were “alarming, and that is an understatement.”