The advance of the coronavirus is continuing and as a result, another eight security regions are taking extra measures, bringing the total of regions that are looked at with care to fourteen. At the same time, Prime Minister Mark Rutte says that the view of the spread of the virus has not been lost and he continues to stick to the course that has been set: no hard national measures and hope that people will again adhere to the basic corona rules.
The advance of the coronavirus continues and as a result, another eight security regions are taking extra measures, bringing the total of regions that are looked at with care to fourteen. At the same time, Prime Minister Mark Rutte says that the view of the spread of the virus has not been lost and he remains committed to the course that has been set: no hard national measures and hope that people will again observe the basic corona rules.
“The last thing I’m going to do is beg the Netherlands to stick to the 1.5 meters,” said the prime minister on Friday during the weekly press conference after the Council of Ministers. “There is no alternative but to leave it to the people themselves. It is not terribly complicated”
The cabinet is eagerly looking for a way to regain control of the corona virus. Rutte: “The figures look downright bad.”
Sixteen corona-related deaths were counted Thursday and Friday, the highest number since May 30. The number of positive corona tests remains worryingly high, rising to 2,777 on Friday from 2,544 on Thursday. Hospitals are also filling up again. Minister Hugo de Jonge (Public Health) warned last week that the Netherlands is on the eve of a second wave.
Shortage of tests and personnel
In the meantime, there are shortages of materials, which means that the test lanes are overloaded and there is insufficient staff at the GGDs to carry out the source and contact investigation. At the same time, people do not always manage to keep their distance at parties, in shops and in the cinema. People also find it difficult to adhere to the rules at work and at school, according to the behavioral study by the RIVM.
Rutte and De Jonge announced additional measures last week for regions where the infections are going in the wrong direction. To turn the tide, the cabinet decided to bring forward closing times in the catering industry to 1:00 am.
This week, unprecedented strong criticism of the cabinet’s approach was heard in the House of Representatives. Not only opposition parties, but also the coalition questioned the testing problems, staff shortages and measures, among other things. “Who really believes that scrapping the last round in the pub will turn the tide?” according to Lodewijk Asscher (PvdA).
On Friday, Rutte announced that extra measures are needed for Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague.
The promised ‘dike’ against second wave is not finished
To prepare the Netherlands for a second wave, and especially to prevent it, the cabinet announced steps in June to prevent a second lockdown. This ‘dike’ should protect the Netherlands against a second wave of contamination.
The corona app, among other things, was one of the building blocks, but it is not finished yet. An extensive testing system and effective source and contact research would ‘kick out’ the virus if the region flared up again, but there are shortages. The corona dashboard with signal values, including data from sewage water, does not appear to be the warning system that was hoped for. The toolbox with measures to prevent the virus locally in the dams is also not there yet. “That takes time,” said Rutte in the corona debate.
On Friday, the prime minister did not want to look back on ‘the dike’ that is not finished. “You prevent the wave by sticking to the rules”, is his idea.
Calls for national measures are swelling
The local authorities are now also criticizing the government’s approach to putting part of the fight against viruses in the hands of the regions. Mayor of Nijmegen and chairman of the Safety Regions Hubert Bruls wonders whether local measures will work. “Isn’t the Netherlands actually too small for a differentiated approach?” he said on Thursday on the talk show Op1.
Mayor of Rotterdam Ahmed Aboutaleb also spoke out against the cabinet approach earlier. “When you see that eight more worrying regions are being added, and that most of the major cities are in those regions, the question is: what is left of the regional approach?”
Rutte is sticking to a regional approach for the time being
From the House of Representatives, coalition parties D66 and CDA, among others, are asking for clearer and more predictable policy. Rob Jetten (D66) called on the cabinet to now also use the insightful roadmap with announced relaxation, but in the opposite direction: these extra national measures will follow if the advance of the virus continues. This also means that action can be taken more quickly.
The prime minister is not yet convinced of this. “The regional approach remains as it is.” The fact that about half of the Netherlands is now faced with tightening up, is no reason for the prime minister to introduce national measures. At the same time, he does not rule out harsh intervention. “There is a price to it. That means curtailing freedoms and consequences for the economy.”
Rutte will meet again at the Catshuis on Sunday with the most involved ministers and RIVM director of infectious disease control Jaap van Dissel to discuss the latest state of affairs. Crisis structure is also returning with, in principle, a biweekly corona press conference and regular corona debates with the House of Representatives.
Rutte: “That fits in with the return of the steady rhythm.” It is all hands on deck again.
