The Netherlands is going into lockdown from 5am on December 19 amid concern about the potential for the new Omicron variant overwhelming the health service. Here are the new rules in full.

In general

• Only essential shops – such as supermarkets, grocery stores and pharmacies – will remain open.
• Schools will close, along with bars, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, museums and concert venues.
• The rules will apply provisionally until January 14.

Education

• All schools will close from Monday morning until at least January 10, the first day after the Christmas holiday. This also applies to colleges and universities. Ministers will decide on January 3 when schools can reopen.
• After-school care will also close, but childcare will be available for vulnerable children and those whose parents need to go to work.

Shops, bars, restaurants and venues

• All shops are closed until January 14. The exceptions are supermarkets, grocery stores, opticians and hearing specialists, libraries, petrol stations, pharmacies, driving schools, lawyers and notaries.
• Restaurants, bars and cafes will also close. Restaurants can deliver takeaways.
• Outdoor markets can continue.
• Contact professions, such as hairdressers and beauty salons, will close, but physiotherapists remain open.
• Theatres, museums, cinemas and concert venues are closed. Events are not permitted. Non-essential shops can open for click and collect and returns.

Home and social life

• The number of guests permitted at home is reduced from four to two, with the exception of the Christmas holidays (December 24-26) and New Year. Children under 13 are not included.
• Groups of no more than two people may meet outdoors, except at Christmas and New Year when the limit is four. This does not apply to people living in the same household.
• Weddings and funerals can go ahead with a limit of 100 guests.

Sport

• All indoor sports venues and gyms are closed. Swimming lessons can continue.
• Organised training sessions and amateur sports competitions are suspended. Adults can train outdoors alone or in groups of two.
• Outdoor sports venues can remain open from 5am to 5pm.
• Professional sports matches can be played without supporters, as before.
• Children under 18 can continue to train outdoors and play matches within their own club.

Travel

• No formal restrictions on travel, but Mark Rutte said travellers must follow the rules that apply in their destination – including the Netherlands.
• From Wednesday people travelling to the Netherlands from outside the Schengen open border area will have to show a negative coronavirus test, even if they have been fully vaccinated or recently recovered from coronavirus.
• The measure is being introduced throughout the EU, although the Netherlands is implementing them earlier than most.
• In addition, all travellers who have been in the UK will have to undergo mandatory quarantine for 10 days, but do have the option of taking a PCR test on day five for early release.

The measures will be reviewed in the run up to January 14, and could be lifted earlier if the infection rate allows it.