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The cabinet will then decide on additional corona measures. The additional restrictions could come into effect on Saturday, although it is more likely that the cabinet will wait until it has debated it with the House. The extension of the corona ticket to zoos and amusement parks is a given. The preparations for a broader use of the corona pass are not that far yet.
Other restrictions are on the table, such as mandatory seating in cafes and restaurants and an earlier closing time. Those involved emphasize that no decision has yet been taken on this.
Increase in hospital admissions
Last week, the cabinet tightened up the corona rules, with mouth caps in shops and a corona pass in gyms and museums. The question then was whether the increase in the number of hospital admissions would continue as expected.
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That seems to be the case. There are currently 1,647 patients in hospitals, of which 319 are in intensive care. According to Minister De Jonge (Public Health), that number can still be estimated if hospitals work together more to spread corona patients.
Another variable that the government wanted to look at is compliance with the basic measures, such as keeping a distance and staying at home and testing in the event of complaints. “Do we show in our behavior that we understood last week’s message a little bit?” said Minister De Jonge (Public Health) in the House on Tuesday. “We can do a lot ourselves. The virus does not spread by itself – people do.”
Irritation in the Room
The blame for what the people are doing wrong causes irritation in the House. “The cabinet is again being surprised by the virus,” says PvdA MP Kuiken. “The source and contact investigation is not in order, the waiting times in the test streets are increasing, the boosters are delayed and the QR code is leaking.”
She wants the cabinet to take extra measures now and not wait until Friday. D66, PVV and GL also insist on improving test capacity and speed with a third shot for the elderly. De Jonge is in consultation with the implementers to see whether the ‘booster campaign’ can start earlier than in December (for the over-80s) and January (for the over-60s).
In the meantime, the Netherlands is against the additional requirements that Austria sets for incoming tourists, including an extra shot for those who have been vaccinated with Janssen’s vaccine. The CDA minister believes that EU countries should follow the advice of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which does not yet recommend booster shots for everyone.
Everything seems to be moving towards winter last year, says political commentator Wouter de Winther in the latest episode of the podcast Afhameren:
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