Cabinet is waiting with additional corona measures: crucial in the coming days

A large part of the cabinet met on Sunday afternoon for informal consultation at the Catshuis in The Hague. There was talk about the contamination figures. They have been high in recent days, but do not seem to be rising extra fast. If this leveling off continues in the coming days, stricter measures may not be necessary.

But if the number of infections and hospital admissions does grow rapidly, the Netherlands – just like other European countries – will go into a further lockdown. “There are no more flavors anymore,” says a source from The Hague. In that case, groups may only consist of two people, instead of the current four. All gatherings will also be banned, all indoor sports will end and the car and public transport may only be used for necessary journeys.

Primary and secondary education may very likely remain open in the event of a further lockdown. MBOs, HBOs and universities are switching completely to online education. Shops will remain open, just like during the lockdown in the spring. Nursing homes are no longer completely locked: residents may continue to receive at least one visitor.

Press conference

This Tuesday it will be two weeks since the cabinet announced a partial lockdown. It did not take effect until a day later, at 10 p.m. This means that the effect of the measures will only become visible in the corona figures in a few days, emphasized RIVM director Jaap van Dissel on Sunday afternoon at the Catshuis.

There is therefore a good chance that Prime Minister Rutte and Corona Minister De Jonge will not give a press conference on Tuesday. The press conference may not follow until Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. In the meantime, the cabinet is working on a scheme for extra financial support for entrepreneurs who are in danger of going bankrupt due to the current partial lockdown. An extra of an average of 2000 euros is in the pipeline for the hard-hit catering industry.

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