“If we now opt for a powerful lockdown, we can resume our life somewhat normally in a few weeks,” says Wim Schellekens, former inspector at the Health Care Inspectorate and member of the Red Team to RTL Nieuws. “But in the meantime we have to have the testing policy and the source and contact investigation fully on track.”
–
–
The Red Team comes with extensive advice to take stricter measures as soon as possible while actively preparing for the phase after the lockdown.
Safety region Twente also wants to be stricter
The Red Team is not alone in its plea for stricter measures. There are more votes for a stricter lockdown. The Twente Safety Region, for example, is also arguing for a further tightening of the corona measures. There has been an explosive increase in the number of corona infections in the region.
Deputy chairman of the Twente Safety Region, Arjen Gerritsen, wants sports to stop, schools to close and shops to close if they want to. The latter does not apply to supermarkets, which must remain open, according to Gerritsen. “Most infections are among children. Discipline seems to be gone. It seems that we do not work from home enough. We also see a lot of hustle and bustle here in the shopping streets.”
The chairman of the Security Council Hubert Bruls informs RTL Nieuws that he has no signs that other security regions would like a lockdown at the moment.
–
–
What is the Red Team?
The Red Team is a group of independent experts who regularly (unsolicited) advice on how the corona crisis can best be controlled. They present themselves as a counterpart to the Outbreak Management Team (OMT).
But unlike advice from the Outbreak Management Team, to which the cabinet does have to respond, the cabinet does not officially have to do anything with advice from the Red Team.
Yet we saw in the earlier discussion about mouth masks that’s the advice of the Red Team was taken seriously by many politicians. And a few days after the advice of the Red Team, the cabinet arrived yet with urgent advice to wear masks in public indoor areas.
–
–
‘It really has to be stricter’
And now the Red Team comes with new advice. “We are now working on it,” says Wim Schellekens. “The plan started with 6 pages, now there are 32. Dozens of experts are participating in it, so that cannot be avoided. We are now refining the advice, to formulate everything clearly and substantiate it well.”
What is the Red Team’s plan now, then? “We see that regular care is already under serious pressure and that many seriously ill corona patients are arriving. That really has to stop,” says Schellekens. “Everything is therefore aimed at letting people come into contact with each other less for a short period of time. That is also the aim of the current measures, but it really needs to be stricter.”
–
–
Stricter measures, this is what the Red Team wants:
In short, the Red Team lists four concrete temporary measures:
- The schools have to be closed for 2 weeks. “You now see a relatively large number of infections there. But if you close the schools for 2 weeks, the virus will be out of the schools. Two weeks of extra holiday cannot really be harmful to the children.”
- Work at home: “People have to work from home even more. You now see that some companies still have employees come to the office, while that is unnecessary. People just have to stay at home as much as possible and avoid meeting each other unnecessarily.”
- Only shops that provide basic necessities may remain open, such as supermarkets and pharmacies.
- Make the Netherlands an ‘island’ as much as possible: “To ensure that the virus stays outside, you should actually close the borders. But that is not possible. What is possible: everyone who enters our country must be tested upon entry, in quarantine, and again after four days. And if they are tested positive, of course in self-isolation. “
No half measures. “This is indeed not fun for citizens and companies, but everyone will understand that it is necessary: as long as it does not take too long”, says Schellekens.
–
–
‘This is taking too long’
As far as the Red Team is concerned, these measures must take effect as soon as possible. “If we wait until next week to take stricter measures, we will be too late again. We have now been on the road for about 10 days in risk level 4 with the accompanying measures. But we do not see that the infections decrease significantly, on the contrary. This is taking too long. “
–
–
Christmas
According to the Red Team, it is likely that the cabinet will soon announce stricter measures. “If you have to, then rather today than next week. Do it vigorously, then it can be short. If you wait longer, it will also take much longer before the number of infections falls below 50 per 100,000 inhabitants per week. that number is still 326, “says Schellekens.
“Hopefully in a few weeks we will be able to resume our life somewhat ‘normal’ and celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve together.”
Getting test capacity in order
To ensure that the virus does not have free rein after such a lockdown, it is crucial, according to Schellekens, that there is sufficient testing capacity, with fast results and that we have the source and contact investigation in order. “If there are fewer infections, the GGDs will have capacity for that again.”
–
–
“In schools and in nursing and student homes, people should be preventively tested on a weekly basis, where possible with rapid tests. This is how we keep the virus out there,” says Schellekens. “There must also be enough capacity to be able to find out where an infection has been contracted. If this does not work, we will be faced with rising contamination figures again and we are on the way to a third wave.”
‘Third wave would be disastrous’
Although the precise wording of the advice is still being worked on, the message from the Red Team is clear, says Schellekens. “Government: make a new start. We are already in the second wave, there is little that can be done about it. But we must avoid getting into a third wave. That would be disastrous. For the citizens, for healthcare, but also for the economy. “
–
–
