Blast close to Dutch virus test center under investigation

Police are investigating a blast at a COVID-19 testing center in the Dutch city of Bovenkarspel early on Wednesday that shattered several windows but caused no injuries.

The Associated Press reports that police in the province of North Holland are investigating after a metal cylinder placed outside a local town coronavirus testing center exploded. According to police spokesperson Menno Hartenberg, it is unclear if the center was targeted or when it will be able to reopen.

Hartenberg said it was clear the explosive did not “get there by accident. But we have no idea at the moment who exactly left it there and what the intention was.”

The province of North Holland, where the blast occurred, is believed to be a virus hot spot, according to the AP, with the number of cases rising higher than the national average.

The AP notes that this is not the first time a testing center has been damaged in the Netherlands. Rioters torched a testing center in the town of Urk in January after the Dutch government issued a nationwide curfew.

The government lifted some coronavirus-related restrictions on Wednesday, with “contact professions” like hairdressers and masseuses permitted to reopen on the condition they adhere to strict guidelines.

According to data from the World Health Organization, the Netherlands has confirmed more than 71,000 cases and just over 600 deaths.