The cabinet must do much more to actively combat travel to orange areas if they are not necessary, say GroenLinks and SP in a parliamentary debate. Many people still go on holiday to those countries or regions, while the risk of infection with the corona virus is high there. There is a danger that the returnees will take the virus with them, especially now that a second wave is underway.
A large part of the House wants the test street to return to Schiphol when the test capacity allows it again. The CDA does believe that the cabinet should choose “the right priorities”. According to Mustafa Amhaouch (CDA), it is a matter of making choices, including the priority in testing for teachers and healthcare personnel.
Selçuk Öztürk (THINK) thinks that the CDA has “a sad story” about the shortage of testing capacity, while he thinks health care minister and CDA prominent Hugo de Jonge should have done something about this. Amhaouch believes that a minister should dare to make choices in times of crisis and that MPs should not shout “from the sidelines”.
Furthermore, firm agreements must be made with the travel industry, for example about stunt offers, tests and quarantine after return, said Member of Parliament Suzanne Kröger (GroenLinks). She called it “completely reprehensible” that, for example, Ryanair offers flights of 5 euros to high-risk areas and even makes the second ticket free.
D66 Member of Parliament Jan Paternotte says that this tempts people to go on holiday to risk areas. He calls on Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen (Infrastructure) to take “moral leadership” and to call on stunting airlines.
The CDA does not consider it to be explained that tickets for “dump prices” are being offered for areas with code orange. Amhaouch wants to know from the minister whether this does not undermine cabinet policy and what she will do about it.
The SP also wants to have more control over returnees from orange areas by car, bus or train. In addition, travelers must be able to demonstrate that their trip is necessary, says SP member Cem Laçin.
Remco Dijkstra (VVD) thinks that this measure cannot be implemented because it is in violation of privacy laws. He also calls the prices of Ryanair, for example, “not attractive”, but he believes that people should take their own responsibility not to travel to risk areas.
By: ANP | Photo: Pixabay
–