The Netherlands on Tuesday extended by three months a ban on major public events, including professional sports and music festivals, until Sept. 1 to prevent a resurgence of coronavirus infections, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said.
At the same time, Rutte said an "encouraging" slowdown in the spread of the virus would enable elementary schools and daycare centers to partly reopen on May 11.
Rutte said limitations on the easing of restrictive measures were necessary to prevent a new wave of COVID-19 cases. "It's better to be cautious now than to have regrets later," he told a televised press conference.