Mayors from 30 municipalities across the Netherlands, including Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and Breda, are asking the government to do a critical review of the current coronavirus policy.
These mayors have written a ‘cry for help’ to the Rutte IV cabinet and believe that the Dutch coronavirus policy is ‘lacking logic’ an opinion piece from de Volkskrant reports.
Societal values
These mayors said they will enforce coronavirus policies but would rather stand in solidarity with their residents rather than ‘punish them’ with these policies. And how can they do this? By remembering that the values of society should come before fighting the virus.
The mayors propose reopening everything — yes, really everything. Education should be accessible to everyone, and public facilities and meeting places like cultural institutions and catering should be open too. 🍲
They believe their proposed coronavirus policy would get rid of pressure put on citizens. The mayors want to avoid chaos and anger from citizens who were treated unfairly and whose sectors suffered due to lockdown. 🔐
Support across the sectors
Overall, it seems like no one is left to defend the Dutch government for its current coronavirus policy. The mayors of these municipalities are not the first to call for a big change — non-essential shops and several cultural institutions have protested for similar reasons.
The cultural sector is also working to bring the Dutch government to court for its coronavirus measures, especially after non-essential shops and contact professions got to open their doors again.
Do you think the coronavirus policy in the Netherlands needs to be reviewed? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!👇
Feature Image: Wouter Engler/Wikimedia Commons/CC4.0