It's nearly press conference...we mean press "moment" time. You can watch live on the NOS. Or you can read our completely serious and not-in-anyway scarcastic live tweeting.
If you're not into used car salesman jokes, red panda gifs and edgy commentary about a government's mismanagement of a public health crisis, just wait til this "moment" passes and you can read our totally boring and dry round up on our website that someone else writes, obviously.
Anyway, pour yourself your drink of choice, whether it be herbal green tea or a pint glass full of vodka, and let's get through this together.
Just a little update in case you haven't been paying attention so far today:
We will almost certainly get no new measures tonight. dutchnews.nl/news/2020/10/n…
We will almost certainly get no new measures tonight. dutchnews.nl/news/2020/10/n…
At another press conference earlier today (yes, we do sometimes see other press conferences), the government announced it would provide financial support for businesses impacted by the pandemic. dutchnews.nl/news/2020/10/m…
This morning the RIVM said there were 67,543 cases in the previous week. That's a 22% rise over the previous week. 2,358 people are currently in the hospital and 529 are in intensive care.
Over the previous week, 329 people have died. It was 185 the week before that.
Over the previous week, 329 people have died. It was 185 the week before that.
IRMA IS HERE. Let's all take a moment to check out her stylish outfit.
(Rutte looks like he's going to a funeral and mom made him put on a tie.)
"You will remember," Prime Minister Mark Rutte begins "that two weeks ago we had a big hammer with the partial lock down."
We will only know the impact of those measures after one to two weeks. (Did someone tell him it's been two weeks?) It's too early to make any conclusions, he says.
"We want to hit the virus as hard as possible but do as little damage as possible to the economy," Rutte says.
(Ehhhh having an out of control deadly pandemic seems like it would be bad for the economy but what do we know?)
Rutte says that if you look, the numbers are level. (Are they though?) But they need to go down.
Next week there will be yet another press conference to announce the impact of the measures. (Why not just schedule this one for tomorrow?
(Anyway remind us to order more booze.)
If the numbers have not decreased, Rutte says we can expect a full lockdown. That means everyone has to stay home except for medical professionals and the police.
He reminds us again to keep your distance and keep to the rules.
Oh god they were hiding Hugo in the corner this is a terrible surprise.
Wait are they wearing the same suit? It looks like they are wearing the same suit. Did they get a buy one get one discount on funeral suits?
Anyway, the Grease extra and health minister Hugo de Jonge say "all option are on the table." (Except for the option to have more measures tonight apparently.)
He says the R number is 1.16 (that's the replication rate, needs to be under 1 for the disease to not be spreading.) He expects that the measures from two weeks ago will get the number under 1.
De Jonge says that the current measures (bars closed, etc) are now expected to last until December.
First question from the NOS: Are you taking too large of a risk?
Rutte: We are looking at the numbers, if it all goes wrong in the coming days you may hear from us sooner.
(Ok we need an emergency gin order.)
Rutte: We are looking at the numbers, if it all goes wrong in the coming days you may hear from us sooner.
(Ok we need an emergency gin order.)
From RTL: The idea is to be back to normal by the summer. What do you expect?
De Jonge: It's hard to predict.
He also says that measures could be in place through Christmas or New Years.
De Jonge: It's hard to predict.
He also says that measures could be in place through Christmas or New Years.
A question from SBS: Yeah there are measures but also parties (we are paraphrasing the feeling because we feel it too!)
Rutte: You see that mayors are motivated to be stricter. It is very irresponsible to have a party.
Rutte: You see that mayors are motivated to be stricter. It is very irresponsible to have a party.
YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST, FOLKS. The Dutch Prime Minister thinks it is "very irresponsible" to have a party.
How do you calculate mental health? (Judging from the waiting time for an appointment with my shrink and the fact that my glass recycling container is filled with gin bottles, I'd say the mental health situation is bad!)
Rutte says mental health is always a concern and then talks about the economic package (!?!?!?).
What does this mean for hospitals? Can they handle the pressure? (We can answer this one. No. dutchnews.nl/news/2020/10/h…)
De Jonge is getting paid by the word again and says that the pressure is very intense. If the expectations are true, than the peak will be in the first weeks of November.
(Considering the Dutch are already sending patients to Germany that seems...bad?)
(Considering the Dutch are already sending patients to Germany that seems...bad?)
Why have you chosen this date for evaluation? Rutte says a lot about data and stuff but basically, the government is evaluating all of the measures, not just the new ones from two weeks ago.
(Him and Hugo are def wearing the same suit.)
(Him and Hugo are def wearing the same suit.)
You are looking for a balance between the virus and the economy. Is support for measures also playing a role?
Rutte: "We always do what is needed to keep the virus under control."
(Weird it seems very not under control at the moment.)
Rutte: "We always do what is needed to keep the virus under control."
(Weird it seems very not under control at the moment.)
He then says that they don't want to overshoot, which, idk, might be better than undershooting?
Can we expect Christmas with the family?
(Forgive us...)
(Forgive us...)
Rutte says that you can celebrate Sinterklaas and Saint Maarten's with a small group. He hopes that there will be no further measures. He expects the measures will still be in place for Sinterklaas (5 December).
Have you looked at travel?
Rutte says to limit your movements for Christmas and wintersports. There will be further advice soon about that.
Rutte says to limit your movements for Christmas and wintersports. There will be further advice soon about that.
What is the worst/best case scenario? (Uhh...the pandemic turns into a zombifying disease and we go all World War Z. Best case, vaccination and someone finally gives de Jonge a decent haircut.)
De Jonge talks more than a guy during a Q&A who has "more of a comment than a question."
He says he expects that from the measures on 13 October, the R will get down to 0.88, but the prediction is hard.
Another question from the NOS: Does horeca stay closed in December?
Rutte says they hope not and that they hope further measures aren't needed.
Rutte says they hope not and that they hope further measures aren't needed.
De Jonge has a slick looking matching match while Rutte struggles with his disposable one.
Annndddd we are done.
We didn't even get to finish our (3rd) drink. Anything you folks want to chat about? How's lockdown 2.0 going? Baking more bread? Murdering your spouse?
Our much more responsible and boring...I mean adult...colleague is doing the write up for the website which should be out in a moment.
In the meantime, if you liked our clearly childish and terrible tweets you can donate so we can stay nice and sloshed during this pandemic. dutchnews.nl/donate-to-dutc…
We screwed up the thread. Amateur hour over here.
https://twitter.com/DutchNewsNL/status/1321159912135806977
Anyway here's all this information but without gifs and jabs are certain health minister's hair cuts. dutchnews.nl/news/2020/10/c…
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