In New York it is completely different from the Netherlands as far as corona is concerned: cafes, restaurants and theaters are open, and the infection rates are also much lower than in the Netherlands. And there are several explanations for these differences. “When corona went around here last year, a lot of people died. So you really don’t have to tell someone here that corona is a problem,” says Jan Bakker, professor of intensive care and intensivist in New York.
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The current corona rules in New York consist of mandatory wearing of a face mask in most indoor areas and showing your vaccination or test certificate upon entry. ‘And you can have yourself tested at just about any corner,’ says Bakker. ‘Last weekend I was in blues cafe. Then you need a vaccination certificate, ID and a mouth cap if you go for a walk. When you’re eating at the table, you can take it off.’ According to Bakker, there are strict checks on the vaccination certificate. “You really don’t have to try to cheat with that. You simply can’t get in without a vaccination certificate or test certificate.’
57,000 dead
Corona wreaked havoc in New York state at the start of the pandemic. More than 57,000 people have died from the virus. According to Bakker, that hard blow has ensured that there is a different view of the virus, compared to the Netherlands. “When corona went around here last year, a lot of people died. So you really don’t have to tell anyone here that corona is a problem.’ And that has partly contributed to the fact that the vaccination rate is so high – almost 90 percent have had at least one shot – and that the rules are better observed. “I haven’t seen any protests here either.”
Healthcare workers, among others, are obliged to be vaccinated. “You are not allowed to do it either, but then you are kindly requested to work elsewhere.”
Communication
Communication from the government to citizens in New York state is very different from that in the Netherlands, according to Bakker. During the period with the most deaths, almost all communication to the people came from one person, Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York state. And that is much better than in the Netherlands, according to Bakker. ‘I find it incomprehensible that you allow experts who make the policy, then sit down on a talk show a few hours later to nuance it, or even contradict each other. Why does a scientific advisor to the government have to explain this on a talk show in the evening? It would definitely have helped if they hadn’t,” said Bakker.
Vaccination obligation for children
All children between the ages of five and eleven had to have had one shot before December 14, today. Children who are not vaccinated are not allowed to go to restaurants or extracurricular activities. The deadline for children 12 years and older is December 27. New York is the first American city with this strict rule.
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