Amsterdam has canceled all New Years Eve celebrations organized by the city council, including the usual countdown held in the Museumplein and the musical and fireworks shows held in different districts of the city, due to the “gloomy” outlook left by the high rate of daily infections and hospitalizations.
“Due to the rapid increase in the number of infections and hospital admissions, and the additional restrictions, the outlook is grim. Since it is very uncertain how things will go, and we already have to make significant investments for these shows, it is not responsible to continue with the preparations“, has argued the city council.
The fireworks shows organized by the municipality sought to be an alternative to the pyrotechnics used individually by citizens, which is mostly prohibited as of this year.
Infections in the Netherlands have skyrocketed since the Dutch government decided end social distancing at the end of September in exchange for the use of the COVID-19 pass. This Monday, the Institute of Public Health (RIVM) has reported 19,274 new infections in 24 hours, breaking a previous record in almost 3,000 more new cases, some positive ones that represent 19.2% of all the tests that are being carried out.
The positives reported in the last few hours also include some test results carried out over the weekend, which were delayed due to technical problems, although problems have also arisen this Monday because the test centers in large cities have run out of capacity for new ones. quotes.
This situation is not improved by a vaccination rate that remains stagnant in the Netherlands. 82.4% of those over 12 years of age already have the complete regimen, and 85.9% have at least one dose, although it is believed that around 13% of the population does not plan to be vaccinated at the moment for reasons ranging from skepticism towards vaccine safety to religious motives.
Policy 2G: reduce leisure for the unvaccinated
The government already limited participation in social life of the unvaccinated or those who have not overcome COVID-19, and currently requires them to undergo a test to access the hotel industry, cultural and musical events, gyms or swimming pools, among other places of public access.
As this method does not seem to be working to reduce hospital pressure and the increase in infections, so the Executive is trying to bet on the 2G policy, which involves granting a valid covid pass only to those people with a full guideline or who are have recovered from the illness caused by the coronavirus.
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
