Dutch premier Mark Rutte warned eager skaters Friday to obey coronavirus social distancing rules and avoid overwhelming hospitals with accidents as a cold snap nears. The Netherlands is bracing for several days of snow and ice from this weekend, with daytime temperatures as low as minus 5 degrees Celsius (23 Fahrenheit). Up to 20 centimetres (8 inches) of snow is expected in some areas. The cold weather has sparked excitement in the pancake-flat country where almost everyone is said to have a pair of skates ready for when the canals freeze over. "Of course you can go skating with one person or some other people. But be careful and keep your distance," Rutte advised during his weekly press conference. "And please don't fall and have to go to the hospital because it is already so busy there." The Netherlands is under its toughest Covid-19 curbs since the pandemic began, with a night-time curfew and all schools and non-essential shops closed. It currently has 2,052 people in hospital with the disease, including 573 in intensive care. Rutte ruled out ice skating competitions, including the famed "Elfstedentocht" (Eleven cities race), a nearly 200-mile (321-kilometre) marathon in the northern Netherlands. It has not been held since 1997 as climate change bites, with the ice never reaching the required thickness amid rising temperatures. The Dutch passion for ice skating has translated into Olympic medals and has led to comical slip-ups about the country. US journalist Katie Couric apologised after she was mocked for claiming the country's skating success was the result of it being an "important mode of transport" there. dk/wai