The cabinet is taking into account a new corona wave, but again there is a threat of hesitation with the preparations. The sector plans with corona measures per sector have not yet been fully worked out, various sources report.
Soon Minister Ernst Kuipers of Public Health (D66) will present his approach for next autumn. “Individual responsibility is the central point in this,” reports an insider. “Self-testing remains, the isolation obligation after infection also.” But the sector plans have not yet been worked out in detail. “We do mention basic principles, but details really have to follow,” confirms another source.
That will be a pain in the ass for a section of the House of Representatives, which insists on good preparation for the autumn and winter, including detailed plans and a sound communication strategy for when the infections really rise.
Nervousness
The Ministry of Health is nervous about the period with the ‘r’ in the month. In that case, a resurgence of the coronavirus must be taken into account. This could be associated with millions of infections, Kuipers previously calculated, resulting in massive staff loss and potential overload of care.
The cabinet would therefore quickly come up with detailed plans that should prevent general lockdown rules. If specific measures are taken in case of increasing infection numbers in restaurants, theatres, offices and factories – such as special walking routes, limited opening or masking obligation – general closures can be avoided for longer, Kuipers said. But the effect takes longer. “So the question is whether it will all be on time,” said a source.
Impact
Incidentally, it is by no means certain that the coronavirus will have just as disruptive an impact next winter as before. The number of infections is now rising again, but with the current circulating virus variants, the chance of major problems still seems small.
We have to work on it, otherwise we will have a real problem in the autumn
But more often during the pandemic, experts and policymakers misjudged the virus, which is why politicians are pressing for good preparation. The summer months should be used for this. Kuipers called on the branches last month to make haste: ,,Various sectors are working on plans, others are more cautious. Therefore my general appeal: prepare yourself, don’t do it just for society, do it especially for your own company or institution. We have to work on it, otherwise we will have a real problem in the autumn.”
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