The Netherlands - Electric Cars: Tesla opens entire Supercharger network in the Netherlands to all EVs - by Rebecca Bellan

Tesla said Monday that non-Tesla owners can charge their electric vehicles at all Supercharger stations in the Netherlands.

The announcement marks an expansion of a pilot program that kicked off in November 2021 with 10 stations. CEO Elon Musk had initially expressed interest in opening up the Supercharger network to other EVs in the summer of the same year.

Unlike other automakers, Tesla operates an expansive proprietary network that has previously prevented EVs from other automakers from using the chargers. The network, which Tesla began building in 2012, now numbers 30,000 Supercharging stations globally.

Read more at: Tesla opens entire Supercharger network in the Netherlands to all EVs | TechCrunch

The Netherlands: Covid: Dutch go into Christmas lockdown over Omicron wave

The Netherlands has announced a strict lockdown over Christmas amid concerns over the Omicron coronavirus variant.

Non-essential shops, bars, gyms hairdressers and other public venues will be closed until at least mid-January. Two guests per household will be allowed - four over the holidays.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the measures were "unavoidable".

Countries across Europe have been tightening restrictions as the heavily mutated variant spreads.

The new rules in the Netherlands - the strictest to have been announced over Omicron so far - come into force on Sunday.

"I stand here tonight in a sombre mood And a lot of people watching will feel that way too," Mr Rutte told a news conference on Saturday. "To sum it up in one sentence, the Netherlands will go back into lockdown from tomorrow."

Read more at: Covid: Dutch go into Christmas lockdown over Omicron wave - BBC News

The Netherlands aims to keep its schools open, even as cases soar among young people - by Claire Moses-

The coronavirus’s rapid spread through schools in the Netherlands has prompted some experts to call for extending this winter’s Christmas break. In an article on Thursday, one immunologist, Ger Rijkers, told the newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, “Children are little virus factories and infect each other as well as adults.”

Read more at: The Netherlands aims to keep its schools open, even as cases soar among young people. - The New York Times

The Netherlands to welcome back Americans today, with little restriction by Caroline Tanner

As of Thursday, June 24, Americans can travel freely to the Netherlands: no vaccine, negative COVID-19 test or quarantine required upon arrival.

The Dutch government’s decision to expand entry options follows the June 18 announcement by the Council of the European Union to open EU borders to visitors from additional “safe” countries, including the United States, given the low risk of contracting COVID-19.

Read more at: The Netherlands to welcome back Americans today, with little restriction