Dutch government announces national lockdown amid Omicron surge

Streets start to empty in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Peter Dejong/AP)

Nations across Europe moved to reimpose tougher measures to stem a new wave of Covid-19 infections spurred by the highly transmissible omicron variant, including a new nationwide lockdown introduced by the Dutch government.

Schools, universities, and all non-essential stores, bars and restaurants in the Netherlands will be closed until January 14 starting on Sunday, caretaker prime minister Mark Rutte said Saturday night.