Corona is once again on the rise: one in twenty people is currently infected,says Ernst Kuipers. Earlier this week, the Minister of Health, Welfare andSport raised ‘the alarm level of corona’, wants to prick faster and thereforejoined the talk show last night. On 1. What is he advocating? Giving a box.And what happened to the vaccination of fellow guest Maarten van Rossem?
Ernst Kuipers wants to speed up the corona vaccination campaign. But what doesthat alert level mean and how does it ensure that society does not have to belocked again? His presence, incidentally, attracted barely 100,000 viewersmore than Johan Derksen Today Inside who talked about smoking a cigar andcocaine.
Ernst Kuipers much praised, but not anymore
At the beginning of the corona time (and also last summer), Ernst Kuipersfrequently joined talk shows such as On 1 and Jinek. At the time, however,he was chairman of the National Network Acute Care and Kuipers was oftenpraised for his clear explanation. In that position, relaxation of the coronameasures still sounded ‘like music to his ears’ last June. Now, as Minister ofHealth and successor to Hugo de Jonge, he is responsible for the measures. Andhe is no longer praised, but is dismissed by many as a liar (and worse).
“We are back at alert level 2. That means observing basic measures?” explained_On 1_ presenter Sven Kockelmann Ernst Kuipers for. “Keep distance?” Theminister: “Yes. Test if you have symptoms. Today someone told me ‘I was on thetrain and a lot of people were coughing in the compartment with me’. Then mysum is that the chance, if they have not been tested, that they have corona isabout 50 percent.”
Shake hands but leave it behind for a while?
“And shake hands? Also leave it out for a while?”, Sven Kockelmann wanted toknow. Ernst Kuipers, with a clenched fist forward: “I would advise you to givea box.”
That does not exactly sound like a heavy corona measure of course (and it isnot a measure either). The approach to vaccinating against corona is now moreserious. From Monday, anyone in the 40 to 60 age group who wishes to do so cangradually report to the GGD for a repeat shot (or first shot if you didn’t getit before).
We are now in corona alarm level 2.> @ministerVWS Ernst> Kuipers: “That is a signal to everyone that the number of contagious people> has increased. I recommend to be careful. We want to stay away from the> measures as much as possible.” #On> 1> pic.twitter.com/kXIioVbTE9>> — Op1 (@op1npo) October 13,> 2022
Maarten van Rossem gets nothing on the mat again
Every Dutch person receives a letter about vaccination, except for one.Maarten van Rossem, who presents himself Subway yesterday also spoke aboutthe new transgender law, was with On 1 to Ernst Kuipers. “Let’s listen tothis expert by experience about the different rounds”, minister Van Rossemgave the floor. ‘As usual, I had not received a letter,’ reported the man who’was on the phone at the GGD last March’. “Probably there is a governmentagency that prevents that. But my wife did get one. He called. Of course I wasterrified that I would push ahead again, so I thought ‘never mind’. My wifesaid ‘can my husband come too?’ That’s what happened, I was allowed to go too.The GGD had a great location, where it was – I would say – not really busy,but there were quite a lot of people anyway. In addition, there was a wholenew procedure, in which the persons to be vaccinated were lined up in rows.The vaccinating staff drove by in a cart along that row.”
“It goes a lot faster, isn’t it”, Kockelmann expected. Van Rossem: „Not onlythat. But, as you know, you have to sit there for ten minutes to see if youdie. So you can stay in the same chair. That’s nice. I have to say: it ranlike clockwork.”
Does Ernst Kuipers expect a new lockdown?
“Nice to hear,” Ernst Kuipers responded. “Compliments to the GGD.” But doesthe minister actually fear a new lockdown? Fleur Agema of the PVV thinks thatthat will almost be the case. Kuipers does not see it that way. He reportedlast night that the biggest problem for society is the number of sick peoplesitting at home. As far as he is concerned, the pressure on healthcare is muchless the case with the current corona variant than we have seen in the pasttwo years.
He wants to say to Agema: “There is no lockdown at all yet. We also want tostay away from that. There is currently a proposal in the House ofRepresentatives for an amendment to the public health law. That is still beingdiscussed. Until that law is in place, there can be no new lockdown at all.”After which Ernst Kuipers ended a bit more cryptically with: “Only anemergency measure.”
For those who want to look back on Op1, you can do so here.