Dutch government looking at reintroducing COVID-19 measures

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Dutch government is seeking advice from a panel of experts on whether it needs to reintroduce COVID-19 restrictions amid sharply rising infection rates. The Netherlands has one of the fastest-rising infection rates in Europe. The 7-day rolling average of daily new cases rose over the past two weeks from 13.43 new cases per 100,000 people to 29.27 new cases per 100,000 people on Oct. 24. Health Minister Hugo de Jonge told reporters Monday, “It’s just going too fast.” He said hospital admissions also are rising faster than anticipated when the government relaxed its lockdown last month. The Netherlands ended almost all COVID-19 restrictions on Sept. 25.