Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced Monday the imposition of a five-week lockdown to curb the outbreak of the coronavirus, in the most stringent measures adopted by the country since the outbreak of the pandemic.

"The Netherlands will be closed for five weeks," Rutte said in a televised speech from the seat of government in The Hague.

"We are not facing a simple flu, as some believe behind us," referring to the demonstrators who gathered in front of the government headquarters, and booed during his speech.

From Tuesday, all non-essential stores will be closed, except for supermarkets, food stores and pharmacies. Schools will be closed from Wednesday.

He added that museums, cinemas, theaters, gyms and zoos will also be closed.

The announcement comes due to a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country. 

The Netherlands has recorded over 10,000 deaths.

The place chosen for the speech on Monday evening is important, as the Prime Minister’s office is usually used for important announcements.

Since the start of the health crisis, Rute has announced most of the measures from a press conference hall.

The measures announced are the most stringent since the start of the virus outbreak. In March, the Netherlands began to implement "smart isolation," with schools, not shops, being closed.

The tightening of restrictions coincides with the announcement by Germany of a partial closure from Wednesday, including the closure of non-essential stores and schools.

The Czech government announcedMonday the re-imposition of a night curfew and the closure of restaurants and bars in the country on Christmas.

The measures include restricting gatherings at home to six people and a ban on consuming alcohol outside from December 18.