Health minister not upset about rising Covid cases; Holiday parties could cause new wave

Despite the rising number of coronavirus particles in sewage systems and the number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals being at the highest point this year, outgoing Health Minister Ernst Kuipers said on Friday there was no reason to be worried. On the same day, Chantal Rovers, a professor of infectious disease outbreaks at Radboudumc, advised against attending Christmas parties when ill and recommended considering a Covid-19 test for those experiencing symptoms.

"No, I'm not worried. The numbers are indeed high again. But I'm not concerned because the response is adequate," the outgoing minister just before the regular weekly Council of Ministers meeting on Friday.

Currently, there are about 900 hospital patients with Covid-19, with around 50 in intensive care. Kuipers said that "a significant portion of these hospitalizations could be prevented by vaccinating people."

He noted that just under half of the people with vulnerable health conditions and those aged 60 and older have been vaccinated. "I would like to see that number much higher. Our regular vaccination program will continue for another week until next Friday," Kuipers said.

The process is straightforward, according to the minister. “You can walk into many GGD centers, identify yourself, and get vaccinated immediately. We can't make it any easier.' People under 60 can still get vaccinated as well.

Expert warns against attending Christmas parties when sick

On Friday, Chantal Rovers, professor of infectious disease outbreaks at Radboudumc, advised people against attending Christmas parties if they are ill and suggested considering a Covid-19 test if they have symptoms.

Rovers pointed out that hospital cases mainly involve the elderly and those with underlying health conditions. “Many people have built up resistance through previous infections or vaccinations, so they are less likely to be hospitalized,” she explained. However, vulnerable groups remain at risk. "Even if you are young and healthy and have had Covid-19 twice, you can still develop post-Covid syndrome," she warned.

Therefore, it remains important to minimize the risk of infection. "The advice is still to stay at home if you're sick,” she said. “My advice would be not to go to Christmas parties or visit grandparents at Christmas if you have symptoms, as unfortunate as that may be. Or consider a Covid-19 test to be sure."

Moreover, the professor noted that few people are aware of the current Covid-19 guidelines. “It would be beneficial for the RIVM or politicians to pay more attention to this, including the opportunity to get vaccinated until December 22,” she said.

Rovers said she expects the number of infections to rise in the coming period, especially as people gather for Christmas. “There's a high chance that more people will need hospitalization in January, but we will not see scenarios like in the first year of the pandemic,” she concluded.