Coronavirus live news: Singapore extends lockdown after sharp rise in cases

Daniel Boffey, our Brussels bureau chief, has sent in the latest on plans in the Netherlands to ease the lockdown there.

The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, is expected to announce that primary schools, child care settings and schools specialising in teaching children with special education needs will reopen in the first week of May. Rutte is due to hold a press conference at 7pm CET this evening.

According to advice provided by scientists from the country's centre for infectious disease control, the risk from an increase in infection from the reopening of some schools is deemed "manageable".

As of Monday, 33,405 patients in the Netherlands had tested positive with Covid-19, of which 9,779 persons were hospitalised and 3,751 died.

People go about their business in the Hague, Netherlands. Photograph: Barcroft Media/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

The leaked scientific advice, obtained by the Guardian, says the effective reproduction rate of the epidemic has been less than 1 in the Netherlands since 15 March. This means that one person with the disease infects fewer than one other person in the community.

Of all reported Covid-19 patients, the scientists advise that "barely 1% are under 20 years of age, while this age group accounts for approximately 22% of the entire population".

The scientists advise: "By opening childcare, primary schools and special education, more transmission is expected among children and their parents. However, it is expected that this will not result in much additional care and hospital admissions."

The scientific advisers are not as one on whether primary schools should open completely or whether they should start with half-full classes. They suggest that the government takes into account the data over the next few weeks from Scandinavian countries where schools have already reopened.

Secondary schools in the Netherlands could reopen a month later "if no outbreaks have occurred in [primary] schools in the intervening period".

They further advise that children up to 12 years of age should be allowed to recommence sports outside and without a requirement to keep 1.5-metre distance from each other. Older children will be required to maintain the social distancing rule.

Top class athletes may train outside but running clubs should not resume as they advise that clouds of sweat can be detected 20m behind a running athlete.

"On theoretical grounds, a risk would then arise for those in the slipstream, just behind the athlete," the scientists report.