The Dutch government decided to increase financial aid to companies affected by the partial lockdown

The Dutch government decided to increase financial aid to companies affected by the partial lockdown

The Dutch government decided on Wednesday to increase financial aid to companies affected by the partial lockdown by 3.7 billion euros. The latest aid comes in excess of the € 33.7 billion previously promised by the government to protect companies and jobs during the coronavirus pandemic, although it has warned that further job losses and bankruptcies are unavoidable. The government said that the companies with the largest percentage decline in sales, such as bars and restaurants, would receive further financial assistance in the first quarter of 2021. Prime Minister Mark Rutte has ordered the closure of all bars and restaurants in mid-October, and will remain closed during the usually busy Christmas and New Year holidays. A nationwide hospitality organization has unsuccessfully lobbied for an end to the closure order, arguing that restaurants and bars can be opened safely with measures to protect against the spread of infections. The Dutch Institute of Public Health on Tuesday warned of a worrying increase in confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past week. The institute stated that the number of new cases during the week increased by more than 9,000 to 43,103.