De Jonge views Covid press conference at home with popcorn and an alcohol-free beer

Hugo de Jonge, no longer the health minister in charge of coronavirus policy in the Netherlands, took in the Friday evening press conference from the comfort of his own home. He tweeted out an image from his perspective watching his successor, Health Minister Ernst Kuipers and Prime Minister Mark Rutte. An alcohol-free beer and a large bowl of popcorn were by De Jonge’s side.

De Jonge was responsible for the fight against coronavirus during most of the crisis, and he himself participated in dozens of press conferences about the country’s coronavirus policy. This was the first such media event for Ernst Kuipers, who took over the job earlier this week.

De Jonge is still part of the new Cabinet. He was sworn in this week as the Minister for Housing and Spatial Planning.

Kuipers brought a fresh look to the press conference, using graphics on a monitor to elaborate his position. Additionally, a different background was used, and the sign language interpreters were superimposed on screen, instead of sharing the stage with the ministers.

De Jonge’s last prime time press conference involved the introduction of the hard lockdown in the Netherlands last month. Kuipers was able to immediately announce the relaxation of some of the strict coronavirus measures during his first press conference on Friday.