The Netherlands will probably still be committed to the current corona measures all year round. And the cabinet does not rule out stricter rules soon.
The lockdown that started two weeks ago has not yet resulted in a significant drop in the numbers. The growth in the number of infections is cautiously leveling off, but the share of positive test results is still increasing.
It seems that the Dutch adhere less well to the rules and advice than during the first lockdown. Figures on how much we move around show that well. “If there is less mobility, people see each other less. That leads to less risk of infections,” says data expert Marino van Zelst.
It is a bit quieter in the Netherlands, but not nearly as quiet as in March:
–
1/3
Shop visit
News hour
–
2/3
Public transport
News hour
–
3/3
Traffic
News hour
— – — –
During the first lockdown, the number of passers-by in the shopping streets was almost 80 percent less than last year. In the summer, the crowds increased somewhat. This month there are about 60 percent fewer people walking than in October 2019.
“We have started to move less since the measures, we have spent less in stores, but the effect is not as great as in March,” says Van Zelst.
In public transport, the number of travelers from mid-March to early May was more than 80 percent less than last year. When the measures were relaxed and the schools opened, the number of travelers did increase again. Mobility in public transport has declined again in recent weeks. “But that could also be due to the autumn holidays, when mobility is always falling,” says Van Zelst.
Road traffic fell in the first lockdown to about half of last year. In the summer, at the end of July, the figures returned very briefly to the level of 2019. From mid-September the figures fall again, but it is not nearly as quiet on the road as during the first lockdown.
–
‘Appeal to responsibility’
“In the first half of the year, there was a sense of urgency and enforcement,” says Andrea Evers, professor of health psychology. “People were very much behind the lockdown because they understood the measures.”
How can the cabinet ensure that people again stick to the rules and, for example, the advice from home? Partly through enforcement, says Evers. According to her, that means strict action and punishment for wrong behavior. “It works very well for children and adults, but only in the short term. For adults it works better if you can appeal to their responsibility. They have to stand behind it, feel urgency, take responsibility.”
The government must address all target groups, such as young people, at their own level, says Evers. She cites an example she heard on the radio. “One boy told very personally and poignantly how he had undergone the disease. That works very well.”
–
“
Indicate daily on radio and TV: this is expected of you.
–
–
Data expert Van Zelst calls for extra strict measures to further reduce the number of contacts between people. “That means we see each other less, which gives the virus less chance to spread.” He believes that the cabinet is missing an opportunity by not tightening the lockdown today.
‘Make urgency clear’
If stricter measures are introduced next week, it is crucial that the cabinet once again clarifies the urgency of those rules, says Evers. “Indicate daily on radio and TV: this is expected of you. And see how people can combine that with the things they find important.”
Yesterday pleaded crisis expert Gert-Jan Ludden for providing guarantees to the population. “People must have the perspective that they will regain freedom.”
Evers: “As long as we do not solve the most urgent needs, we cannot just expect people to always adhere to the measures. Solutions are needed that match the living environment of citizens.”
– –
/i/2001005299.png?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)