What will happen in the future if the number of corona infections has fallen to such an extent that the cabinet can again come up with easing? On Wednesday, the House of Representatives looked again for perspective in the debate about the corona approach. Is testing and tracing really okay this time? Is it wise to think about easing around Christmas and what about a vaccination requirement?
“There may be a time when half of the Netherlands is vaccinated. That is too little for group immunity. What do you do then?” Prime Minister Mark Rutte responded to questions from, among others, ChristenUnie leader Gert-Jan Segers. “The cabinet is not in favor of compulsory vaccination. The discussion is how to deal with people who have not been vaccinated if the vaccination coverage is too low.”
This month, pharmacists Pfizer and Moderna announced promising results on the effectiveness of their corona vaccines. According to Minister Hugo de Jonge (Public Health), the first vaccinations can start in early January 2021.
What if music venues require a vaccination certificate?
from research I&O Research shows that the number of people who are willing to vaccinate has decreased from 73 percent in June to 60 percent at the moment. To achieve herd immunity, so that the coronavirus is slowly extinguished, 70 percent of the population must be vaccinated.
The cabinet and the House of Representatives have spoken out several times against compulsory vaccination. At the same time, the question is also being asked how society deals with the admission of non-vaccinated people in, for example, concert halls or schools. The Association of Dutch Music Venues and Festivals pleaded this week Faithful for the ability to refuse tickets to people who are not vaccinated.
The VVD is against compulsion to vaccinate, but believes that consideration should be given to refusing people who have not been vaccinated in government buildings or concert halls, for example. Hayke Veldman: “Sometimes, precisely because of the freedom that you have yourself, you need a step to protect the freedom of another.”
Prime Minister Rutte calls this indirect way of seducing people to vaccinate “a medical issue that we need to think through deeply”. On Thursday, the health council will issue an advice on the vaccination strategy and the cabinet will be discussing this issue in the coming weeks.
As far as the VVD is concerned, the cabinet will have to work on the theme of vaccination. Veldman thinks the cabinet is still too cautious with information about the corona vaccination. “Communication must be clearer, especially around vaccination.” He wants to know where the vaccination campaign is. “Waiting or not communicating is not an option.”
Room skeptical about easing around Christmas
The cabinet announced on Tuesday that the ‘aggravated lockdown’ is over and the Netherlands is back in a partial lockdown. The corona infections and the pressure on healthcare are decreasing, but are still at a much too high level. The strict measures are expected to be necessary until mid-January, but the cabinet wants to announce on December 8 whether relaxation is possible around Christmas. Rutte: “We want to see if we can do something in mid-December anyway.”
Part of the House is skeptical about this plan. “In crisis situations it is important to outline hope, but if that is not possible, it is also good to tell that annoying message in time”, says Jesse Klaver (GroenLinks). “The way in which it is hinted that we might be able to do a little more around Christmas creates a lot of uncertainty.”
The VVD wants to know on the basis of which the cabinet decides that easing is possible. Gert-Jan Segers (ChristenUnie): “If we continue at this pace, we will be at the desired level by mid-January. Nevertheless, we are cautiously talking about easing and that is risky.”
‘There is a road map, but hardly anyone understands it anymore’
The House was critical of the lack of clarity about what the relaxation route entails exactly. Last month, the cabinet came up with a roadmap at the request of the Lower House. This should provide insight into which measures would apply to certain contamination figures.
SP leader Lilian Marijnissen: “There is a roadmap, but hardly anyone understands it anymore.” Prime Minister Rutte announced on Tuesday that the map can only be read from left to right and that it does not include a route to a downscaling. Antje Diertens (D66): “The roadmap is intended for perspective. It remains vague. How does the cabinet ensure that the roadmap works with upscaling and downscaling?” Pieter Heerma (CDA): “When will the predictability return to the route?”
Rutte said that work is being done on a new roadmap that should be ready by the beginning of December. Changes are necessary, according to the Prime Minister, because new insights are constantly emerging about the approach to the virus during the crisis.
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