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12 Nov, 115 tweets, 14 min read

https://twitter.com/DutchNewsNL/status/1459055281422360578

https://twitter.com/DutchNewsNL/status/1459055281422360578

So we're doing this again.

Weren't we just here?

These press conferences are like Inception, except if instead of a little toy, you get a contagious disease and also you never wake up from this nightmare.

Should we recap the events of the last ten days or just let everyone cry in the corner for a little longer?

Ok, what are we expecting tonight?

A "lockdown."

Here's the thing. The Dutch are using "lockdown" the same way they use "party."

They think it's a lockdown, everyone else thinks it's coming up short.

The Dutch lockdown is what happens when you order your public health response to a global pandemic from Wish.

Leaks say starting tomorrow cafes, restaurants and bars will have to close at 7pm, as will non-essential shops. People will also be advised to work at home as much as possible and to limit the number of visitors to no more than four. dutchnews.nl/news/2021/11/t…

Sports are big mad.

(We assume Gym Twitter is playing some role in that.) dutchnews.nl/news/2021/11/s…

THE NUMBERS ARE VERY EXTREMELY BAD. Record breaking on Thursday.

Good work, everyone. Good work. dutchnews.nl/news/2021/11/n…

Ok there's a smidge of good news.

Boosters start next week. dutchnews.nl/news/2021/11/c…

(I tried to quit and was told that isn't allowed. Does anyone know a good employment lawyer?)

You all are way too excited tonight. Real partying on the rooftop while the aliens kill us all vibes.

"16364" Prime Minister Mark Rutte starts off. That's the record breaking number from yesterday.

"Happily most people are now vaccinated," Rutte says.

(Not, uh, enough.)

The Outbreak Management Team (it STILL annoys me this is in English. You have a language dammit) advises everyone to reduce the number of contacts.

"The virus is everywhere, all ages, all sectors," he says.

Rutte says they have difficult news.

(This has real you're 12 and your parents are telling you they are getting divorced vibes.)

Last week, he says, they expanded QR usage and reintroduced masks. The OMT, he says, sees clearly that the results are not good enough.

(Not just the OMT. I can also read the numbers on the RIVM website.)

So what are we going to do?

Oh wait, he's going to do some stuff apparently.

"It is unavoidable that we will get restrictions," he says.

Apparently, Hugo is going to explain the bad stuff.

Rutte says that everyone can do something extra.

Does anyone want to guess what his suggestions are?

I'm not typing this again, go look it up from the previous live tweeting.

He also suggests that you open a window for fresh air

Alright here's the stuff that comes into effect immediately.

-max 4 guests in your house
-work from home
-keep your distance at work

He says there are 56 new measures as of tomorrow. I'm not going to list them all. Read it on the website when we're done.

(Just trying to make sure my colleagues stay employed. Looking at out for you all!.)

If there's no QR code required, you must keep your distance.

(an exception for people you live with, unfortunately for people in relationships where one person is a cuddler and one person isn't.)

But this includes outside, but there are some exceptions, like for sport.

Anywhere a QR code is required, you must have a seat (exception for museums and carnivals.)

(Look, this is how bars should be anyway.)

Shops and horeca must close between 20:00 and 6:00 and 18:00 and 6:00 for non-essential shops. Restaurants can deliver after 20:00.

Theaters and cinemas can remain open but max seating is 1250.

Covid:

Sports can continue but without an audience. That means NL v Norway next week will be without spectators.

Max 75 people in groups at higher education.

Covid, again:

Rutte says they took longer to decide this because it really impacts people's lives. (So does having covid!)

They will revisit this on Dec 3. So put that in your agenda for the next time you're going to try to murder your liver.

Now over to Hugo de Jonge, whose shoes are exceptionally ugly today.

"I talked to someone in health care," he says. (Did you wear a mask? Probably not.)

He says that being in healthcare is like running a marathon but then you have to run another 10K. That is how it feels for many of us, he says.

Anyone wanna chime in with what it feels like to be on a ventilator?

"I understand that it feels like "here we go again,"'" he says.

(THAT'S BECAUSE THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IT IS. IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE IT, IT IS IT.)

He says that the vaccines are making the difference now and that with every jab, we are getting stronger.

He says that there was a choice between closing more things or doing more things with a QR code and they have chosen for that.

(Wait they chose the thing that allows businesses to operate as much as possible? Are we surprised?)

Hugo has gone on some extended riff about 2G. (This is the move to make people either show they were vaccinated or have recovered from Covid rather than 3G where you can show that you've tested negative.)

They are going to move to the 2G for exceptionally busy places - but this won't happen until the law changes. Parliament will debate that next Tuesday. However, it will be up to businesses. If they want 3G, gotta have seats.

He says that they are starting with boosters for 80+ers, healthcare employees and people who live in care homes, then they will be available for everyone.

De Jonge encourages everyone to get vaccinated. "We can't take the doubt away, but everyone can help take someone's doubt away."

"We all know someone that spreads weird ideas," he says.

(Yes we're on Twitter.)

NOS: You can't promise that it will be done in 3 weeks?

Rutte: No we cannot guarantee it. But the expectation is that the number will go down.

(Sure, Jan.)

What does this mean for the support of the measures?

Rutte says that it's important for them to call out the facts. (Unless it's the facts about the toeslagenaffaire.)

Don't you think this is a bad signal?

Rutte says that they hoped that with the vaccines, they wouldn't have to do this. But you see the same across Europe.

Isn't 2G essentially forcing people to get vaccinated?

De Jonge says no, they don't want to make vaccinations mandatory. "You are allowed to not get vaccinated, but that shouldn't force a business to close."

(Dammit, Hugo doing good again tonight. We hate to say it.)

You sketch this dilemma but isn't that different than what you said before?

De Jonge says no, we can't wait until the virus goes away. We have to learn to live with it.

RTL: You said that 2G is a choice at an employer?

De Jonge says no, it's an option for high risk situations, like at events or in bars.

He says that it won't be for essential sectors and it won't be required at work.

What numbers do we need to see to extend the three weeks? Rutte says they can't say. "It will depend on our behavior," he says.

(Someone should count how many times he's said this over all of the press conferences.)

Sinterklaas?

Rutte says that it can continue tomorrow. (He arrives tomorrow.)

(This is 100% the reason the measures don't come into effect until 7PM tomorrow.)

You say that healthcare is full. We have 18 million people and 350 IC beds. Shouldn't we make more?

De Jonge says he gets this question a lot.

(Rather than coming up with more bs answers for it, maybe he could spend that time getting new beds sorted.)

He says it has been scaled up, but that people are burned out. They are still trying to continue regular car. He says it's not possible to keep up with the height of this wave.

SBS: You talk about slowing the virus, but there's record numbers and the hospitals are full. How do you slow it now?

(Wait til spring.)

That's not what Hugey says. He says that QR codes will slow spreading.

(Wanted a gif of a QR code sword fighting or something but that doesn't seem to exist.)

How do we know this works? De Jonge says it's biology, we know that vaccinated people transmit less and are better protected against the virus.

"If you are in a big group, than the chance of spread is lower."

Sure, in theory, but in practice?

Hugo says that you can't compare two countries, he says they asked the OMT, etc.

(Worth noting that all of these vaccines were tested for exactly these things.)

Isn't that a wobbly basis to go from 3G to 2G? De Jonge says no, they don't want to force it on everyone. "We can't make the risk zero, but we can reduce it."

When will we get rid of it?

(This is such a dumb question. If the virus mutates tomorrow and starts melting everyone's brains, the decision is going to be different.)

De Jonge says it will certainly continue through the winter period when infections are heavy. Otherwise you choose between this or no events, etc.

BNR: You want to make it possible for employers. Will you also this for civil servants?

Rutte says the will discuss it but it is a defensible position.

(I am once again asking why we are nearly two years into this and they are still discussing stuff like this you.)

What will happen if people can't or won't show a QR code?

Rutte says they will have to organize this together, it needs to be with employee and employer organizations.

What about a support package?

Rutte says what it will look like, they will get back to that.

MKB Nederland is upset that there are measures but no support?

Rutte says we have to take these measures. OMT advises in the short term, this is step one and then we will discuss the options.

(That's the small/medium business group.)

FD: Employers are mad at these rules. Can you guarantee they will be supported?

Rutte says the goal is to be very supportive.

I get the feeling that isn't enough. They want compensation, they feel you've made mistakes and that the healthcare situation is being paid by businesses. They want 100% compensation. You say you can't?

Rutte says that he understands this is terrible for businesses.

He says they will arrange for support and the last time the packages were very precise.

Now you have a QR code but you can't tell between whether you've tested or are vaccinated. What happens when the switch from 3G to 2G? What happens to privacy?

De Jonge says it's the same as now, it gives a green signal.

NU: I hear very little reflection. We are 1.5 years further. We have learned a lot. Why not measures sooner?

Rutte says that's a good question. He says it was wise to extend the QR code and the masks last week. (Not that anyone is, ya know, doing that.)

You seem surprised, are you surprised?

Rutte says that the increase couldn't be affected by measures.

(Ok so either measures do stuff to cut infections and you didn't do them soon enough OR they don't and then why are we doing them now?)

If the need for measures is clear, why not sooner?

Rutte says, again, that you can always have a discussion about sooner. We have to see what it does to the economy.

(Because just letting people die and the hospitals being overrun has zero effect on the economy.)

Firework ban?

Rutte says there is lots of time to make that decision.

(This is how they are still discussing things like...the legal basis for social distancing...nearly 2 years in. Guess we'll get an answer about that in July 2025?)

Vaccinations were the holy grail but now not. What is the end game?

De Jonge says that last year we had the same level of IC admissions, but double the number of patients. The difference is vaccinations

(So the numbers were the same last year but there still aren't enough beds???)

De Jonge says that we have a group of 1.5 million people who aren't protected. And vaccinations will not protect 100%.

2G is a principal issue for some people. Do you understand that those people are less likely to get vaccinated?

De Jonge says that he doesn't understand that. He does understand that vaccination is a tough conversation.

De Jonge says the choice is that either we close things for everyone or you keep it open for people who are safe.

What do you think does for trust in government?

In our liberal democracy, there is freedom and responsibility. I am happy that people can protest us. (They are protesting.) It is reasonable to have this discussion but in the short term we need to take measures.

Why not have antibodies as well?

De Jonge says that some of this is public health care capacity. Also it's not clear what the measure would be, the OMT says there's no standard.

There was a question from the AD but we couldn't hear it.

Rutte says that most infections come from home, but people take it home. (This is word for word what he's said before.)

He says that horeca wasn't perfect but many places did it very well.

(Shows that Rutte doesn't get out much.)

Should we be doing more testing, even for the vaccinated?

Rutte says not for the short term. We also need to get people to a test location (and have enough test locations!!)

Do you trust that this work?

Rutte says that people will stay more at home. If we would all do this, we wouldn't need measures. But this is an illusion. So we need measures.

(pErSonAl rEsPOnsibILTY)

Should Pfizer be allowed for children? (Currently only kids 12 and up)

There is no plan (?!?!?!), they first need to ask the public health service for advice but they haven't done that yet.

NRC: More measures, for a few more weeks. Maybe we do this ten more times. Wouldn't it help to do it for longer?

De Jonge says that you don't hear me say it will all be gone, but that we can live with it.

He says we don't know how it will impact us every winter. The corona virus won't be gone.

Why is the OMT advice published after the press conference?

Rutte says that it's because they send it with the letter to parliament.

Is it an idea that it could be available earlier?

(So journalists can ask questions about why what the government is doing differs from what the OMT recommends?)

De Jonge says no we never do that. With an eye on communication, it would be better to send it earlier but we want to do it with the press conference.

(I'm forbidden from swearing but this is some 🐂💩)

OMT is an independent body. Could they make it public?

De Jonge says idk a lot of stuff that is basically like we don't want to make it public because we don't want you to ask us more questions.

When do you think the 2G will start?

De Jonge says it will take three weeks for the law and then they hope to go with it.

(I am once again asking why they don't start working on stuff sooner.)

When will it be stopped?

De Jonge says it won't be everywhere and it will be the choice of the business, and they don't know.

(I am once again asking the journalists to not ask this dumb question.)

If you are worried about this won't work on a local level, why not take stronger measures?

We are taking heavy measures but they also need to be implemented locally. (Yes like how locally, no where is checking QR codes and mayors said they weren't going to enforce it.)

(Do we think they called this 2G and 3G just to troll the 5G nutters? I would like to think so.)

Where will there be 2G and where not?

Events, "wet" horeca (Is that where annoyed citizens chuck their fluitjes on de Jonge shoes in protest?), places where people have a lot of contact.

How wide do we need for 2G?

They are currently thinking about it, de Jonge says.

Ok are we getting paid overtime? How is this still going on?

If you think 2G would work, would you like to start today?

De Jonge says yes. If it was possible, he would.

Rutte has suddenly found his podium, his suit jacket and his tie very interesting. If you're bored, we all are buddy.

Do vaccinated people consider themselves to be too safe?

De Jonge says that the vaccinated people in the hospital are 20 years older than the unvaccinated. Even with variants, the protection is very good. But if 1.5 million people don't get vaccinated, we are not safe.