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Check it out here corona news of Tuesday 17 August

07.40 – Corona cases in New Zealand linked to Australia outbreak

The seven new corona cases in New Zealand, which have put the country back into a strict national lockdown since Tuesday, are related to the record outbreak in neighboring Australia. This is evident from research into the genetic code of the virus. All schools, shops and businesses in New Zealand were closed on Tuesday, with the exception of supermarkets, pharmacies and medical centers.

The Australian state of New South Wales had a record number of 633 local infections on Wednesday, despite the strict lockdown that has been in force in the city of Sydney since the end of June. New Zealand, in turn, identified six new cases on Wednesday, after being rocked by one infection on Tuesday. That infection was the first confirmed corona case in the country since the end of February. It concerns the extra contagious Delta variant.

Australia, with a population of 25 million, and New Zealand, with a population of 5 million, have long enjoyed great success in their fight against the coronavirus. They did this mainly through an extremely strict border policy. For example, Australia has kept its borders hermetically closed since March last year, with a few exceptions. And only New Zealanders returning home are allowed to enter New Zealand. They must also be quarantined in a hotel for 14 days after arrival. Until the lockdown introduced on Tuesday, which will remain in force at least until Saturday, New Zealand was one of the few countries in the world where there were hardly any domestic corona measures.

But the current infections pose a risk. Because in New Zealand, only 17 percent of the population has been vaccinated to date. In Australia, too, only 27 percent of Australians over the age of 16 have been fully vaccinated so far. About half of the adult population has had at least one shot. In New Zealand, only 26 people have died from the corona virus so far, in Australia 960 people.

06.10 – House of Representatives is once again considering corona policy

The House of Representatives will again discuss the corona policy of the outgoing cabinet on Wednesday. Before the debate, the MPs are updated by experts about the situation surrounding the corona virus.

The cabinet announced last week that higher education can start the new academic year without students and lecturers having to keep one and a half meters away from each other. But further relaxations are not expected for a month at the earliest.

This means, among other things, that the current restrictions for, for example, the catering and events industry will remain in force for the time being. According to health minister Hugo de Jonge, there are simply too many people who are not fully vaccinated and can therefore still become infected and become seriously ill.

On September 20, the cabinet hopes to be able to afford more relaxation. And on November 1, it hopes to be able to release all remaining measures. Then the one and a half meters away could possibly also be canceled everywhere. But that is still very uncertain, Prime Minister Mark Rutte warned last week.

05.56 – Few changes on the corona map of the Netherlands

The number of positive tests and the number of hospital admissions remain about the same, which is why there are probably not too many changes on the corona map of the Netherlands on Wednesday. In most regions, risk levels are likely to remain as they are.

The biggest change is in South Limburg. That region is still at the highest risk level, very serious, but could go down two steps at once to worrying on Wednesday. The number of positive tests and the number of new hospital admissions is falling rapidly.

Limburg-North, Haaglanden and South-Holland South may also leave the highest risk level. They may go down one step, from very serious to serious. Brabant-North and Brabant-Southeast may go from ‘serious’ to worrisome.

In a few other regions, the risk level may need to be increased. For example, Gelderland-South and Zaanstreek-Waterland, which are currently still rated as serious, could end up being very serious due to the increasing number of admissions. In Drenthe and Zeeland, more corona patients are also being placed in a nursing ward or intensive care unit, and that may be just enough to allow the provinces to go from worrisome to serious.

The Netherlands has four risk levels. From lowest to highest, these are vigilant, worrisome, serious and very serious. The status of an area depends on the number of positive tests and the number of hospital admissions. The higher of the two numbers is the deciding factor. The vigilant level has not been in effect anywhere since 13 July.

The card has no consequences for the measures for the time being. The announced relaxations apply across the country, as do the restrictions that remain in place for the time being.

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