A lot of apologies were given today on behalf of the Dutch government. Meanwhile, the average number of positive coronavirus tests is increasing, reports the NOS.
The government has pulled the break on relaxations and coronavirus measures are back into place until August 13. But what is Rutte’s take on the numbers?
Infections, hospitalisations, and deaths
By 10 AM this morning, 8522 new cases had been reported to the RIVM. While that is 847 cases less than yesterday, the number of positive tests is increasing when looking at a seven-day average. In the past week, 6619 positive tests were reported on average every day. That’s a 582% increase from the week prior.
Hospitalisations have also increased slightly. Currently, 213 people are in hospital with coronavirus — 84 of those in intensive care.
Though fewer deaths are usually reported on weekends, the RIVM reports that, on average, one person is now dying from coronavirus every day in the Netherlands. That’s an increase compared to the previous week, where only one person died every other day.
Dit is vergelijkbaar met 3 van de 5 penalties missen als er *geen* keeper in het doel staat. pic.twitter.com/g3yJiTzKde
— Roel Griffioen – #apologiesNotAccepted (@roelgrif) July 12, 2021
Tweet translation: This is comparable to missing 3 out of 5 penalties if there is no goalkeeper in the goal.
Rutte apologises
Rutte has now apologised for the rapid relaxations that the government made towards the end of June, reports the NOS. He accepts that the government made an error of judgement but believes that the recent outbreaks can be stopped, saying that “the Netherlands is a sensible country.”
The Prime Minister also apologises for “the bad press conference” last Friday. After announcing the new restrictions, Rutte refused to answer journalists questions about his thoughts on the reinstitution of restrictions. Now, he realises that it was unfair not to answer.
Prior to the press conference itself, Rutte and Health Minister De Jonge were still finalising the new measures and because of this, they weren’t well-prepared for questions.
Lessons learned
With the chaotic bursts of outbreaks hopefully behind us once again, De Jonge says the government has learned an important lesson. Namely, that “in unfamiliar territory, we often have to err on the side of caution.”
De Jonge also addressed the issues with access tests. He says the system worked well in a controlled environment but once applied in an uncontrolled environment (such as a busy nightclub) they were less than ideal.
Going forward it seems the government will be more cautious in their approach to relaxations.
What do you think of Rutte’s apologies? Tell us in the comments below!
Feature Image: Alexandros Michailidis/Shutterstock.com
