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The Netherlands has announced plans to ease most of its Covid-19 measures by the end of February 2022, according to Reuters.

Ease of restrictions

In a letter to the Dutch Parliament, Health Minister Ernst Kuipers said that as of Feb. 18, bars and restaurants in the country would be able to remain open until 1am, instead of the current 10pm cut-off limit.

Additionally, locations which can house up to 500 visitors will no longer have to comply with safe distancing rules, according to Dutch News.

However, visitors must show proof of vaccination status, recent recovery from the virus, or a negative test result.

For locations with more than 500 people, fixed seatings will still be required.

With the easing of safe distancing measures, places like theatres and stadiums can operate at full capacity.

Reuters reported that nightclubs and festivals in the country could also "get back in business", with a testing requirement for visitors.

In his letter, Kuipers said, as reported by Dutch News:

"The policy will no longer depend on the pressure on the healthcare system but on the wider perspective, from both the social and socio-economic side, as well as on care services.

We are moving away from eradicating risks to managing them, so we can live more normal lives."

The Dutch government will confirm its new policies on Feb. 15, according to Reuters.

86,862 new cases on Feb. 10

On Feb. 10, The Netherlands reported 86,862 confirmed Covid-19 cases with 15 new deaths.

Although the number of infections remains high, the number of patients in hospital have been going down.

As of Feb. 10, the country reported a total of 1,351 Covid-19 patients in hospital, with 198 on ICU beds.

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Top image by Wynand Van Poortvliet via Unsplash.