Read on Twitter
These Dutch gov't documents from March 2020 procured under the Dutch Freedom of Information Act show that "the fastest possible build-up of herd immunity" was a central objective in the Dutch covid response policy, as outlined by the Dutch gov't. https://twitter.com/milenaholdert/status/1384983617525387266
Dutch journalist Milena Holdert goes on to say that the instructions to other gov't administrators contained the express instruction to refer to the Dutch pandemic strategy as one of 'maximum control.'
This comes after gov't officials, including @MinPres Mark Rutte, have for over a year systematically and categorically denied pursuing herd immunity, insisting that it was a mere "sideeffect" of the Dutch strategy. https://www.nu.nl/coronavirus/6038609/rutte-verduidelijkt-groepsimmuniteit-is-niet-het-doel.html
However, in his first pandemic speech on March 16, 2020, then PM Mark Rutte stated that "a large part of the Dutch population will be infected with the virus" & that it was the Dutch gov't belief they could "build up herd immunity in a controlled manner." https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/toespraken/2020/03/16/tv-toespraak-van-minister-president-mark-rutte
So there you have it. Dutch gov't documents confirming "herd immunity" was the main goal to be pursued, with ICU capacity as the sole limiting factor, and express communication instructions to gov't officials to refer to an infection strategy as one of "maximum control."
Addendum: Recent moves by the Dutch gov't indicate this is still the strategy used and pursued. Minister of Justice Grapperhaus recently boasted about the country's high infection numbers, saying it was indication of a higher lvl of immunity. https://twitter.com/jaapstronks/status/1384056600621584385?s=20
This week the Dutch Cabinet announced it would start gradually (but swiftly) lifting measures and opening up the economy. Caretaker PM Mark Rutte stated that the concomitant risks are acceptable. https://nos.nl/artikel/2377550-dit-zijn-de-versoepelingen-en-de-coronaregels-die-blijven-gelden.html
Recently Caretaker Health Minister @hugodejonge also argued that "four million people went through [natural] infection and built up immunity," thus allowing the Netherlands to open up the economy sooner than experts advised. https://twitter.com/op1npo/status/1384616393455423491?s=20
Arjan Noorlander of Nieuwsuur summarizes PM Rutte's line of thinking: "we are going to put aside science for now." https://twitter.com/Nieuwsuur/status/1384592852865458179?s=20
The Dutch CDC (RIVM) characterized the announced lifting of measures as a "political decision," saying that the desired epidemiological conditions for lifting measures are currently nonexistent. https://nos.nl/video/2377523-rivm-verwachte-versoepelingen-zijn-politiek-besluit.html
Yesterday, Dutch national broadcaster NOS reported 8530 new infections, and an overall weekly increase of 14%, as well as a 6,5% increase in ICU admissions. https://nos.nl/artikel/2377647-8530-nieuwe-besmettingen-6-procent-meer-ic-opnames-dan-week-eerder.html
Mayor Hubert Bruls of Nijmegen lauded the Cabinet's plan to open up the economy, saying that "one can only have 100% certainty when everyone is immune [presumably through prior illness] or vaccinated," which he does not want to wait for. https://www.gelderlander.nl/nijmegen/bruls-juicht-versoepelingen-toe-alleen-100-procent-zekerheid-als-iedereen-immuun-is-of-gevaccineerd~a0aff39f/
Today NOS also reports some Dutch hospitals are nearing -or are already at- full capacity, prompting them to no longer admit new patients and/or limit surgeries.
On April 20th it was also revealed that the gov't sponsored Field Lab Events, research ostensibly meant to look into the possibility"corona-proof" mass-events (as well as critized by the Dutch scientific community), did not meet ethical standards. https://www.volkskrant.nl/wetenschap/na-kritiek-uit-samenleving-nu-kritiek-uit-wetenschap-fieldlabs-voldoen-niet-aan-ethische-normen~bb37d048/?utm_campaign=shared_earned&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
Higher education will start opening up as planned on April 26th, as well as driving schools/ driving tests.
Macabre yet very significant detail: the number of people allowed at funerals will go up from 50 to 100. https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nieuws/politiek/artikel/5226426/naast-afschaffen-avondklok-en-terrassen-open-ook-versoepelingen
Macabre yet very significant detail: the number of people allowed at funerals will go up from 50 to 100. https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nieuws/politiek/artikel/5226426/naast-afschaffen-avondklok-en-terrassen-open-ook-versoepelingen
Field Lab Mass events will only be cancelled when ICU occupancy exceeds 900 beds.
For those who speak Dutch, you can find the full transcript of this week's press conference here:
Important takeaway: PM Rutte thinks the Netherlands can be rid of most covid measures by early summer. https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/mediateksten/2021/04/20/letterlijke-tekst-persconferentie-minister-president-rutte-en-minister-de-jonge-20-april-2021
Important takeaway: PM Rutte thinks the Netherlands can be rid of most covid measures by early summer. https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/mediateksten/2021/04/20/letterlijke-tekst-persconferentie-minister-president-rutte-en-minister-de-jonge-20-april-2021
Also very important: Dutch mask mandate will be lifted when it is no longer deemed proportional. PM claims gov't will await advise from OMT advisory body, but judging from the subtext and prior behavior the gov't wants to push this through sooner rather than later.
From the same presser:
Q: "So you're not calling it [lifting of measures] a gamble, but 'taking acceptable risks? Is it a gamble?'"
PM Rutte: "No, it's taking acceptable risks, which is governance." (Convoluted sentence on the PM's part, but you get the gist)
Q: "So you're not calling it [lifting of measures] a gamble, but 'taking acceptable risks? Is it a gamble?'"
PM Rutte: "No, it's taking acceptable risks, which is governance." (Convoluted sentence on the PM's part, but you get the gist)
Just in: Dutch Cabinet refuses to impose flight ban on flights to and from India, which is seeing a dramatic surge in new cases, because of Dutch CDC advise issued on March 26th. Flights to and from Brazil are still going on as we speak. https://twitter.com/jpaternotte/status/1385174367370452996?s=20
Mandatory quarantine for (air travel) arrivals from high risk countries will be implemented from May 15th onwards, not a day earlier. https://nos.nl/artikel/2376832-vanaf-15-mei-quarantaineplicht-bij-aankomst-uit-risicogebied.html
Going back to the situation in Dutch hospitals: To alleviate pressure on hospitals, covid patients who would otherwise receive inpatient care are being sent home with oxygen etc. https://twitter.com/LizanGanz/status/1385125071946231808?s=20
These "virtual covid wards" are distorting overall hospital statistics, statistics which the gov't uses to justify its policy decisions.
Sigh, and while hospitals here have to send home patients, preparations for the upcoming Eurovision Song Festival are ongoing. Fragment below: King Willem Alexander being toured around the premises. https://nos.nl/video/2377753-koning-willem-alexander-krijgt-rondleiding-bij-eurovisie-songfestival.html
Eurovision project leader : "we will only push on the emergency break when the ICUs have run out of space and field hospitals have to be set up." https://www.ad.nl/rotterdam/wellicht-toch-geen-publiek-bij-songfestival-als-ic-opnames-blijven-stijgen~a65b45fd/
Over the last 24hrs:
Fast approaching 10k daily cases.
Hospital admissions: 289
ICU occupancy: 839 beds filled
20 people passed away https://twitter.com/mzelst/status/1385220792682782725?s=20
Fast approaching 10k daily cases.
Hospital admissions: 289
ICU occupancy: 839 beds filled
20 people passed away https://twitter.com/mzelst/status/1385220792682782725?s=20
This is Ann Vossen, member of the Dutch Outbreak Management Team (advisory body of experts to the Dutch government) , explaining the Dutch pandemic strategy of "controlled spread" on national television back in the spring of 2020. https://twitter.com/i/status/1253084594972364800
Fast forward again to April 20th, 2021. Here's what Health Minister Hugo de Jonge had to say on the subject of making policy decisions (lifting measures, etc.), independent of infection numbers: https://twitter.com/DutchNewsNL/status/1384563760434712592?s=20
Again, re: public messaging:
While most of the world has now shifted their focus to airborne transmission as a dominant route of infection, the Netherlands still emphasizes droplet transmission. The only measures emphasized in mosts PSAs are distance and hand washing.
While most of the world has now shifted their focus to airborne transmission as a dominant route of infection, the Netherlands still emphasizes droplet transmission. The only measures emphasized in mosts PSAs are distance and hand washing.
Consider the visuals used at the Dutch press conference last week (left), showing the 3 basic & most important rules for everyone in NL: wash your hands, keep 1.5m distance, get tested.
Masks & ventilation? Not mentioned. https://twitter.com/DrywFiltiarn/status/1382050861543788547?s=20
Masks & ventilation? Not mentioned. https://twitter.com/DrywFiltiarn/status/1382050861543788547?s=20
In fact, Dutch CDC (RIVM) Director Jaap van Dissel has repeatedly stated that masks have little to no effect. For much of 2020, the RIVM said masks give people a false sense of security. A national mask mandate wasn't implemented until Dec. 1st. https://nos.nl/artikel/2350709-van-dissel-blijft-erbij-gewone-mondkapjes-hebben-weinig-effect.html
This PR video from last March shows how nobody at RIVM (Dutch CDC) headquarters wears masks: https://twitter.com/rivm/status/1376446249155584002
When asked why nobody was wearing masks, the institute said the nat'l mask mandate only targets public places where distance can't be kept. Private buildings, such as their own, are exempt from the mask mandate. (In that case 1.5m suffices, according to the RIVM)
Moving on to vaccines: to date, the Netherlands has consistently been the slowest EU member in terms of vaccination roll-out. So slow that gov't institutions resorted to alternative calculation methods to bump up the tally. https://nltimes.nl/2021/04/15/netherlands-questioned-sudden-19-surge-covid-vaccine-estimates
Edouard Matthieu of Our World In Data: "It is difficult to understand that now that the vaccinations have been going on for so long, there is still such a confusing difference between the registered and estimated number of injections" >
>"Moreover, the official dashboard does not distinguish between first and second injections which is only done weekly by the RIVM.”
The order of vaccination has been chaotic as well. Younger vulnerable people have had to lobby for vaccines after being passed over countless times.
Getting an appointment is difficult even for the elderly, as well as getting to vaccination sites. https://nos.nl/artikel/2377531-vaccinatiestrategie-gewijzigd-miljoen-prikken-van-huisarts-naar-ggd.html
Getting an appointment is difficult even for the elderly, as well as getting to vaccination sites. https://nos.nl/artikel/2377531-vaccinatiestrategie-gewijzigd-miljoen-prikken-van-huisarts-naar-ggd.html
It's kind of been like this since Dec. 2020. While other European countries were starting their vaccination roll-out, IT systems here were still being set up, and Public Health Services (GGD) was dealing w/ staff shortages. https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2020/12/17/kamer-verbijsterd-over-late-vaccinatie-in-nederland-a4024382
Meanwhile the gov't had also been working on organizing Field Lab events (mentioned earlier in this thread; mass events masquerading as scientific research), earmarking (as it turned out) almost 1 billion euros for the project.
From Nov 2020: https://nos.nl/artikel/2356416-half-januari-mogelijk-proeven-met-voetbalwedstrijden-bioscopen-en-evenementen.html
From Nov 2020: https://nos.nl/artikel/2356416-half-januari-mogelijk-proeven-met-voetbalwedstrijden-bioscopen-en-evenementen.html
From Jan. 8 2021. Nieuwsuur investigation re: children and covid (transmissibility). Long story short, Dutch OMT first said little risk for children, masks/distance allegedly damaging psychologically, so no need. Later conceded that was a mistake. https://twitter.com/chuanming_/status/1347641944424517632?s=20
Saddening, but not surprising.
Last night an overwhelming majority of parties in Dutch Parliament, with the exception of Bij1 and PVDA, supported the Cabinet's decision to start lifting measures. https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2021/04/mps-back-plan-to-lift-the-curfew-despite-experts-objections/
Last night an overwhelming majority of parties in Dutch Parliament, with the exception of Bij1 and PVDA, supported the Cabinet's decision to start lifting measures. https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2021/04/mps-back-plan-to-lift-the-curfew-despite-experts-objections/
