Virus interrupts forming of new Dutch government

[TexasTowelie]

Source: AP

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The coronavirus has interrupted the process of forming a new Dutch government, with one of the two “scouts” mapping out possible coalitions testing positive for COVID-19.

The government information service says that talks scheduled Thursday have been canceled following the positive test recorded by Kajsa Ollongren, who is also caretaker interior minister and deputy prime minister in the outgoing coalition.

Ollongren is the second member of Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s Cabinet to test positive this week, following state secretary for economic affairs and climate Mona Keijzer.

The coalition talks are expected to take weeks or months following last week’s general election. Rutte’s conservative VVD party won the most seats in the lower house of parliament but will likely need to enlist other parties to gain a majority in the 150-seat legislature.

Read more: https://www.lmtonline.com/news/article/The-Latest-Sri-Lanka-to-buy-7-million-Sputnik-V-16051673.php

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Link: Laredo Morning Times

[abqtommy]

1. Local and national governments that refuse to deal successfully with the virus will find

that the virus will be dealing with them.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. They just extended their lockdowns a couple days ago

Healthcare
March 23, 20212:17 PM Updated 2 days ago
Netherlands extends lockdown due to rising COVID-19 infections

By Reuters Staff


AMSTERDAM, March 23 (Reuters) - The Dutch government with extend coronavirus lockdown measures by three weeks until April 20 due to rising numbers of COVID-19 infections and hospital admissions, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Tuesday.

Rutte, speaking in a live press conference, also said that a recommendation that people not travel abroad was being extended until May 15. (Reporting by Anthony Deutsch)

https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-netherlands-lockdown/netherlands-extends-lockdown-due-to-rising-covid-19-infections-idUSS8N2JJ06F

[Laurelin]

3. We are fighting the British and SA variants

We've been under our strictest lock down since...I forget. December? But we've been pretty strict since October. It's much stricter than the US. Numbers were going down, then they plateaud, now they're going up again. It was all sadly predicted because it's what happened in the UK with the new variant.

I'm not saying the NL hasn't made some stupid mistakes (we took forever to mandate masks) and there are stupid people protesting the restrictions here too. Also I don't know much about Rutte. But it is not entirely the fault of the Dutch government that we're being hammered. On the whole i think they've been more responsible than the US.

I'm just hoping that youall will avoid the worst of the variant wave, because your vaccinations are going well. But don't take the new variants for granted. They're bad news.