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.'
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
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
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.
Field Lab Mass events will only be cancelled when ICU occupancy exceeds 900 beds.
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)
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
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.
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
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.
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
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)
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.”
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
You can follow @chuanming_.
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