Prime minister Mark Rutte is expected to confirm a further easing of the coronavirus rules on Wednesday evening, but several new measures have already been leaked to the media.

Secondary schools are expected to be given the green light to abandon social distancing after the summer break and to resume a normal timetable of lessons. They have been opened partially since June 2, but the combination of physical and online lessons has led to complaints from parents, teachers and pupils.

According to the Telegraaf, government advisors are recommending that football fans are allowed back into stadiums from September 1- as long as the 1.5 metre rule is observed. Chanting and singing, however, will be banned because of the risk of spreading coronavirus.

The Dutch football season resumes on September 11, but prior to that, Oranje will take on Poland and Italy in the Nations League.

If ministers do agree to allow fans to watch live games, stadiums will be approximately one-third full, the Telegraaf said.

RTL Nieuws suggests the government will abandon the limit on the number of people who can attend formal events, on the condition that participants can keep social distancing rules and answer questions about their health. Reservations in advance will remain a requirement.

This could mean that festivals and outdoor events may be possible from July 1, subject to local authority permits. However, this does not mean that large pop festivals will be back on the agenda, sources told broadcaster NOS.

Sources also suggest that cinemas, theatres and places of worship will be able to welcome more than 100 people (the original planned limit from July 1), again as long as social distancing can be observed.

‘If this is true, it is a big step on the way back to normality,’ Jolanda Jansen, of the Ahoy event space in Rotterdam told broadcaster NOS.

Ministers said earlier they planned to allow saunas, gyms and sports schools to reopen from July 1, if coronavirus remains under control.

DutchNews.nl has also been told that the prime minister may have more to say about visits to nursing homes. On Tuesday families who had threatened legal action over visitation rights withdrew their case following a meeting with health minister Hugo de Jonge.

Rutte’s press conference will be broadcast live at 7pm. DutchNews.nl will be live-tweeting the event. This is the last coronavirus press conference ahead of the summer break.