‘Unis may be allowed to open to a limited extent late March’
If the coronavirus reproduction number, which indicates how many people an infected person infects on average, remains around 1, universities will be allowed to open to a limited extent from the end of March. Students would then be able to attend physical lectures one day a week at most.
In addition, if the infections continue to drop, outdoor cafés may be allowed to open at the end of March and people might be allowed to receive two guests per day at home, instead of one.
Four months
These are small steps, prime minister Rutte said, that can only be taken at the end of March if the infection rate does not rise further. According to him, there will only be room for relaxation when everyone has had at least one jab: in about four months.
For now, the lockdown will be extended to March 30, including the curfew from 9 p.m. to 4.30 a.m. On March 23, there will be another press conference, during which the government will announce which measures will actually be relaxed by the end of March.