Netherlands to Cancel Social Distancing Restrictions from Sept. 25

Netherlands is set to cancel the one and a half meter social distance rule starting from Sept. 25, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced on Tuesday.

The recommendation to work from home as much as possible will be adjusted "if possible and at the office if necessary."

"I will immediately add that Sept. 25 is not the day when everything is completely back to the way it was before the novel coronavirus," Rutte said during a press conference. "There are still too many infections and hospital admissions."

From Sept. 25, everyone aged 13 and older will need a corona pass to enter all eating and drinking establishments -- except takeaway restaurants, and at events, festivals, and professional sports events. The rule also applies to art and cultural institutions, such as cinemas and theaters.

The pass is believed to be a solid proof that the holder has been vaccinated, recently test negative or has recovered from COVID-19.

On the other hand, people without the pass can have themselves tested for free for a QR code, with which they can gain access.

Meantime, nearly 13 million of Netherlands' population have had at least one vaccine dose, and over 11 million people have been fully vaccinated. The number of people in Netherlands admitted to hospital with COVID-19 is stable, according to the government.

The government asserted that the vaccination rate is now high enough to lift the mandatory 1.5-meter rule everywhere, but not yet high enough to do this without conditions.

"Only with the highest possible vaccination coverage can all measures be relaxed," the prime minister affirmed.