Minister promises protective gear for aid workers, household help

Minister Martin van Rijn for Medical Care decided to also make protective gear available to people who provide household help, counseling, daytime activities, or meal support to people at home, under certain conditions. These aid workers can ask for protective gear if care for someone who has or is suspected to have Covid-19 cannot be postponed, the Minister announced on Wednesday.

According to the Minister, people who provide home support under the Social Support Act are in most cases able to keep 1.5 meters apart, which means that no protective gear is required. Guidelines also state that if a client shows symptoms of the coronavirus, the support will be postponed. But sometimes this is impossible. And in those cases, the aid worker can get personal protective equipment from the "spare package".

"All people who work in healthcare - inside and outside the hospital - must be able to count on the fact that they can work safely using personal protective equipment," Van Rijn said. "Of course only if this is really necessary, because there is still a huge need for protective equipment in healthcare. It is good that employees who provide Social Support can now also have a reserve package of protective equipment in specific situations."