AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The Netherlands will begin easing coronavirus lockdown measures next week nearly two months after they were imposed, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Wednesday.
The phasing out of the restrictions will be rolled out over the next four months. They could be curbed if the new coronavirus starts spreading more quickly, Rutte warned.
“Steps to slowly open the economy and public life will give our country the space to look forward and make plans for the future. We will do that as quickly as possible, but it is better to be safe now than sorry later.”
Face masks will be compulsory on public transport from June 1, he said.
(Reporting by Anthony Deutsch and Toby Sterling, Editing by Franklin Paul)
