THE HAGUE, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Dutch government has relaxed some of the coronavirus measures, Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced at a press conference here on Tuesday.
"The (infection) figures that come to us are too high, but the trend is downward and that is positive," Rutte said. "There is light on the horizon. The figures show that the measures work, that our behavior works."
The second wave of the coronavirus appears to be receding in the Netherlands as the number of confirmed daily infections continues to decline. The number of infections from Monday to Tuesday was 4,320 -- 547 less than the previous day and the lowest since Oct. 4.
In its weekly update, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) said that the number of newly reported infections between Nov. 11 and Nov. 17 was 37,706, compared to 43,621 a week earlier. The number of deaths from the virus was 479, compared to 565 in the previous week.
On Oct. 13, the Dutch government imposed a "partial lockdown" to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Cafes and restaurants were closed until at least the middle of December. The government also closed theaters, cinemas, museums and zoos for at least two weeks on Nov. 3. The latter measures will be lifted at 12 midnight on Wednesday, Rutte said. Enditem
