Six in ten Dutch think Covid-19 measures were abolished too soon

Six in ten people find that the Cabinet has loosened coronavirus restrictions too quickly, a poll by EenVandaag showed. With the number of new infections rapidly rising, survey participants have expressed growing concerns about the development of the coronavirus pandemic for the first time this year.

About 20,500 people responded to the survey as part of the television show's opinion panel. Their responses were collected on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Some 60 percent of participants stated that relaxing a package of rules happened too fast, including dropping restrictions on catering business attendance, reopening of bars and nightclubs, restarting events and doing away with face masks in public spaces. For many of them, that meant offering too much freedom to numerous young people who have not yet been vaccinated against Covid-19, and allowing the virus to regain ground.

About a fourth of people thought it was the right time to relax the measures, while 13 percent said it happened too slowly. Five percent were undecided.

The study also showed that social unrest in relation to the ongoing health crisis was increasing again for the first time this year. 60% of those polled say they felt worried about the course of the pandemic in the Netherlands, compared to 42% recorded in June. The more contagious delta variant of the virus was most commonly cited as a main reason for that in the poll.

Some coronavirus measures could be reinforced in the Netherlands on Friday, Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said on Thursday. He explained that would depend on the outcome of emergency advice from the Outbreak Management Team (OMT).

The RIVM reported another 5,475 coronavirus infections in the Netherlands on Thursday, the most announced in a single day since May 14.