People who have been fully vaccinated will now have to wait two weeks before they can access catering establishments or events where it is not possible to keep 1.5 meters away. Only after 14 days do they receive a valid QR code that gives access.
The cabinet has decided this after the increasing infection figures of recent days. Outgoing minister De Jonge of VWS said that this increase was partly to be expected because of the relaxation, but that the speed with which this is happening is “a cause for concern”. According to De Jonge, the waiting time measure will come into effect “in the short term”.
Now people can jump into the nightlife right after their last shot, while they probably aren’t fully protected yet. By now taking a break of two weeks, the Netherlands is aligning itself with most neighboring countries.
Seducing young people
By waiving the waiting period, the cabinet wanted to entice young people in particular to get vaccinated. If they had a drink with Janssen in the afternoon, they could already go to the disco in the evening. De Jonge still defends this approach, because it has led to a higher vaccination rate among young people.
“Because we had a low infection rate at the time, that was justified. Now that we have higher infections, we still have to build in a waiting period.”
After a consultation with the most concerned ministers, De Jonge said that although the infections are increasing, the care in hospitals is unlikely to be jeopardized in the short term. Most infections occur among young people who have not yet been vaccinated, who generally become less ill from the virus than the elderly.
Vacationers
“But we have to be very vigilant,” warned De Jonge. “The regained freedom is not free, but comes with the responsibility to stick to the general measures, such as keeping one and a half meters away.” Operators of catering establishments should also check more closely at the entrance. “If you start cheating, you create a risk for others.”
De Jonge also wants to prevent returning holidaymakers from causing a new wave of contamination after the summer. That is why free rapid tests will be distributed at airports and door-to-door. The cabinet hopes that people will test themselves before they go back to work after the holidays.
–
