The PM of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte. (Image via NL Times)

The Netherlands extends lockdown due to delayed herd immunity

Alfonsus Adi Putra
Politics & Economic
Regulation
Apr 04, 2020
3840
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, supported the government’s action to extend the lockdown period until the end of April in order to tackle the outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Speaking on Thursday, Rutte said that mostly, the Netherlands has been closed.

With the lockdown, all schools are closed until the end of April. All restaurants, bars, and night clubs are also closed. The Government is said to close all stores, except supermarkets.

Furthermore, Rutte also aborted the strategy to form herd immunity, previously planned by the British Government. English medias said that the Government lets the virus infect the whole population to achieve herd immunity. Thus, the British Government’s way to tackle the COVID-19.

Not long after, Rutte stated in his speech that the Netherlands aims to control the virus entirely by letting the virus break out even further. Same as the British Government, the Dutch Government wants to establish herd immunity in its people.

With the approach, the hospital and intensive care unit will not be overloaded and they would focus more on assisting those in need.

Rutte then revised his statement after receiving backlashes. He asserted that the action is not the main action by the government. The Dutch PM said that the immunity will be there by itself if the contagion is wider.

However, the concept was deemed horrible. Even the medical experts said that it requires a 60 – 70 percent infection in the population to finally achieved herd immunity. Currently, the Netherlands recorded 13,614 positive cases; from the number, 1,173 people died and 250 recovered.

Source: https://bit.ly/39E1BmT

Politics , Regulation , Lockdown , Medical , Health , COVID-19 , Europe , Netherlands