No Covid restrictions needed yet, Health Min. says as vaccinations open to everyone 12+

Companies and organizations don’t have to take measures against the coronavirus yet but are free to do so if they wish. Minister Ernst Kuipers of Public Health said that some care institutions require face masks again, and some shops have put out hand sanitizer. “I welcome such initiatives,” he said. The latest round of coronavirus vaccinations will soon open to everyone. People between the ages of 40 and 60 can make an appointment next week, and “in principle the week after,” everyone from 12 to 40 can do so, Kuipers said.

Sectors like the catering industry, hair salons, beauticians, retail, and sex workers have all made plans over the past months to prepare for a new wave of coronavirus infections in the autumn. Their “measure ladder’ has four levels. From low to high, these are basic measures, prevention measures, intervention measures, and emergency brake measures.

The sectors are now at the basic level. If they move up a step, companies could have to create walking routes, put up splash screens, and ask visitors to reserve a time slot. But according to Kuipers, it is ‘not yet necessary for sectors to collectively take the step in the measures ladder to the preventive phase.”

Coronavirus infections have increased rapidly in recent weeks, putting more pressure on healthcare. The number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals has risen from over 400 to more than 1,100 in a month. The Netherlands is officially in the autumn wave.

A year ago, on 13 October 2021, fewer than 400 coronavirus patients were in Dutch hospitals. About a month later, in mid-November, that number had increased to over 2,000. At the beginning of December 2021, the wave peaked at over 2,800 coronavirus patients admitted to hospitals.

The Cabinet is using a “thermometer” to monitor the coronavirus pandemic. On Tuesday, the thermometer moved from the lowest level to one step above. Kuipers said that the government is keeping a close eye on developments and will report if “the epidemiological picture and the situation healthcare are deteriorating.”

In the meantime, the Netherlands’ repeat shot campaign is moving forward. Everyone in the Netherlands who has not yet had the repeat shot against the coronavirus will be able to make an appointment in the coming weeks, starting with the 40-60 age group next week and hopefully the 12-40 group the week after, Kuipers said.

It is a big group of people, so not everyone will be able to get the vaccination right away. But according to Kuipers, “people will get that opportunity between now and very shortly.”

Anyone aged 12 years and older who got the original coronavirus shots can get the repeat vaccination. That should boost their immunity against the virus. People aged 60 and older, people with additional medical risks, and healthcare workers could already get the repeat shot in recent weeks. According to the most recent figures from Tuesday, nearly 1.3 million people have gotten the vaccination, including almost a third of Netherlands residents over the age of 70.