The Haarlemmermeer and Amsterdam regions have been hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, national statistics agency CBS said on Wednesday.

Both regional economies contracted sharply in the third quarter of the year. Haarlemmermeer, which is home to Schiphol airport, contracted by around 20%, the CBS said, while the impact on the capital was between 6% and 7%.

Nevertheless, regional economies overall were less severely impacted than in the second quarter, as many of the coronavirus regulations were relaxed.

In the April to June period, the economy of Haarlemmermeer contracted by as much as 29% as air traffic came to a virtual standstill. In Amsterdam the shrinkage was up to 14%.

Sectors which have performed well despite the coronavirus crisis include energy, wholesalers,  insurers and abattoirs and this has reduced the impact on areas such as eastern Groningen (gas), western Utrecht and Almere (logistics) and the Veluwe region (logistics and meat processing).