Corona expert fears long lockdown: “Is society going to take that?”

Schellekens is part of the Red Team. This provides the cabinet with solicited and unsolicited advice on cabinet policy. He and his colleagues have regularly criticized the corona measures and thinks the government should go further. ‘We have been saying for some time that the cabinet’s intervention should be quick, powerful and short. It is no longer possible to quickly, then we should have tackled the second wave in September. But it can still be powerful and short. ‘

However, the former inspector does not see this happening. ‘The cabinet will wait and see whether the decline in the number of new infections continues before making new decisions. As it looks now, there will be no new press conference on Tuesday and the measures that would apply for fourteen days, such as the closure of the cinemas and museums, will expire. No new measures seem to replace this. ‘

Political consideration

Schellekens thinks it is a good thing that the interventions of two weeks ago will not be extended. ‘Museums and cinemas are not the big trouble spots. Museums are generally well organized and it is quite possible to keep a distance here. The fact that these had to be closed for two weeks was more of a political consideration than that it has an influence on the number of infections. ‘

The other measures, such as the closure of the catering industry, will remain in force for the time being. Schellekens fears that this will remain necessary until January. ‘We now know that with these measures the contamination figures approximately halve in two weeks. Two weeks ago we had 11,000 new infections per day, now there are between five and six thousand. According to the WHO, in the Netherlands we have to reach a limit of 850 new infections per day, then we have the virus under control. That is the border that Germany also adheres to. If we assume a halving every two weeks, it will take another six weeks before we are below that limit and we should keep the current measures until January. ‘

Schools closed

According to the Red Team, this is too long. ‘Can society handle it for so long? This is the reason why we advocate stricter measures, so that you are among those 850 new infections faster and we can open things up gradually again. For example, we would like the schools to close for two weeks. ‘

Schellekens is also looking ahead to the coming holidays. ‘It will not surprise me if the cabinet comes up with a relaxation before Christmas, so that restaurants can open and larger groups of people can be together to celebrate Christmas together. And I would understand that, because I can imagine that there is a need to give everyone a little bit of air. ‘

Third wave

If the number of new infections has been significantly reduced, Schellekens hopes that the organizations involved will ensure that they are well prepared for a third wave. ‘The source and contact investigation must be well organized in order to be able to continue to fight the virus properly. And the hospitals need rest. Because they are always a few weeks behind the peak. It is still a crisis there. And I’m not even talking about the postponed care, because it still has to be made up for. ‘

According to Schellekens, this indicates how important it is that the number of new infections is reduced as quickly as possible. “If we stay in the second wave for another two or three months, I don’t know whether society will take it.”

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