The cabinet only wants to look later this week at possibly stricter measures that should reduce the number of corona infections. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said this during a brief press moment on Tuesday evening. He says it is too early to “step on the brakes” and it is too early to “draw conclusions from the partial lockdown”.
The cabinet only wants to look later this week at possibly stricter measures that should bring the number of corona infections down. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said this during a brief press moment on Tuesday evening. He says it is too early to “step on the brakes” and it is too early to “draw conclusions from the partial lockdown”.
The Prime Minister said that we are currently at a crossroads and that it will only become clear in a few days whether the package of measures introduced on Wednesday evening, October 13, will have any effect.
“We still don’t know enough about the October 13 package,” said Rutte. According to him, experience has now shown that it can only be established after exactly two weeks or longer whether measures have an effect on the number of corona infections.
According to Rutte, taking extra measures too quickly could be too hard a blow to the economy and society. The prime minister calls this a “balance beam on which we stand together”.
Rise in positive tests is leveling off somewhat
On Tuesday, the weekly figures from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) showed that the increase in the number of positive corona tests has leveled off somewhat last week.
According to Rutte, that is not yet enough and the figures should actually decrease. If this does not happen in the coming days, additional measures can be taken. The cabinet takes all scenarios into account, with Rutte calling a complete lockdown a “specter”.
Presumably new press moment next week
The cabinet expects to hold a new press conference next Tuesday, unless action is required earlier.
In any case, the current measures will remain in force until December. “For the time being, keep in mind that we can celebrate Sinterklaas, but in a small circle,” said Rutte. He thought it was too early to talk about the way of celebrating Christmas.
Just like the number of infections, the number of hospital admissions grew less rapidly last week. The more than seventeen hundred admissions last week represent an increase of 16 percent, while an increase of 30 percent was noted in the previous week.
