The outgoing cabinet will hold a press conference tonight at 7 p.m. to announce new corona measures. In addition to Prime Minister Rutte and Minister of Health De Jonge, Jaap van Dissel, head of infectious disease control at RIVM, will also be present at the press conference. This afternoon, cabinet members will hold an emergency meeting to make decisions.
The Outbreak Management Team has advised the cabinet to institute a strict lockdown to slow down the advance of the omikron variant. The experts argue that almost everything should close: only essential shops such as supermarkets should remain open, sources from The Hague confirm.
This would mean that in addition to non-essential shops, the catering industry, gyms, museums, cinemas and theaters would also have to close again. Also, as far as the experts are concerned, all schools and other educational institutions should close.
worry about omikron
Yesterday it became clear that the cabinet and the OMT are very concerned about the rapid spread of the omikron variant.
Figures from Amsterdam show that the share of the omikron variant in the total number of infections doubles every two to three days. The variant is expected to be dominant in the capital next week.
According to the OMT, there is a race against time, in which it is crucial that the booster campaign gains momentum. The omikron variant spreads two to three times as fast as the delta variant, said OMT chairman Jaap van Dissel. already know in a briefing to the House of Representatives on Wednesday. He stated that the rapid spread is probably because people who were vaccinated a little longer ago are insufficiently protected against the variant. Van Dissel therefore urges the rapid administration of booster vaccines.
OMT member Marion Koopmans said yesterday that it is important to take and implement additional measures as quickly as possible. In this way, the expected impact of the more contagious omikron variant can be limited, until there is more clarity to what extent the variant is or is not more pathogenic.
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