The cabinet will certainly take stricter corona measures, but hopes that a lockdown can be prevented. Sources report this to the NOS. Exact measures are not yet known, Monday will be an advice from the experts of the OMT and there is still to be discussed.
The new measures should limit the population more in movements and contacts on the street and elsewhere, the sources say. “For example, you have to think of cafes and shops that have to close earlier,” says reporter Ron Fresen.
A large part of the ministerial team today met for about five hours at the Catshuis with Prime Minister Rutte and experts to discuss the increasing number of corona infections. It is almost certain that Rutte and Minister De Jonge of Health will give a press conference on Tuesday with new tightening.
Lockdown
“The cabinet wants to stay away from a lockdown for as long as possible,” one of the sources told the NOS. Fresen says this is also because the current measures do not change the behavior of the Dutch enough, a problem the cabinet is grappling with. In March, with the first outbreak, people were more compliant with cabinet measures; they continued to work from home more often, went shopping less often and with fewer family members and more often avoided social contact.
Change
That situation is different now, as was observed in the Catshuis today. Despite the measures, the number of corona cases continues to rise. The cabinet is now being forced to come up with stricter measures with harmful consequences for the economy.
The fear is that the Dutch will only change their behavior when they see full IC units in hospitals with many critically ill patients. The cabinet hopes that things will not have to come that far.
Brace yourself
Prime Minister Rutte warned on Friday that additional measures are needed if the number of infections continues to rise. Minister De Jonge said yesterday in response to the more than 6,500 new cases that things are going in the wrong direction. “We can brace ourselves.”
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