The Netherlands: Dutch Dr. Fauci Thinks Masks Won't Work. Here's Why: by Hannah Osborne

Dutch PM Mark Rutte

The Netherlands' decision to not introduce a mandatory mask policy came after mayors in cities across the country said they should be put  in place for some busy areas, following a slight uptick in cases in some regions. Since then, cities have been given autonomy to introduce their own mask orders. Following a meeting with mayors last week,

Following a meeting with mayors last week, Minister for Medical Care Tamara van Ark reaffirmed the national standpoint.

"From a medical point of view, there is no evidence of a medical effect of wearing face masks, so we decided not to impose a national obligation," Politico quotes her as saying.

At  present, the only places where people in the Netherlands need to wear masks are on public transport and at airports. City mayors have also introduced orders about mask use in busy shopping centers.

Note Almere Digest: These are very unorthodox suggestions on masks wearing by the Dutch  Rutte Government . A Dutch saying goes : "Baat het niet, schaden doet het ook niet."- Even if it doesn't help, It does not do any harm.Yes indeed, wearing masks has shown to help slow the spread of the Coronavirus, and more important Mr. Rutte, it saves lives in the process . 

Mr. Rutte, also, please  don't follow President's Trump's conflicting advice on masks, or anything else,  for that matter. But I am sure you are aware of his mental shortcomings.

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Dutch Dr. Fauci Thinks Masks Won't Work. Here's Why

The Netherlands: Aantal besmettingen schiet omhoog: 'Je ziet wat je kon voorspellen'

Het RIVM meldt dinsdag dat het aantal besmettingen met het coronavirus de afgelopen week is gestegen met 987 meldingen van nieuwe gevallen. Vorige weekwaren het er nog 534. Patricia Bruijning, epidemioloog in het UMC Utrecht, maakt zich grote zorgen.

Het is zeker zorgelijk. Maar of de tweede golf nu al voor de deur staat,is nog niet met zekerheid te zeggen, daarvoor moeten we de trend iets langer volgen. Het is belangrijk dat de GGD nu meteen gaat onderzoeken waar die besmettingen zich hebben voorgedaan en daar zijn zij ook al mee bezig, ze zitten er bovenop. Met die gegevens kun je bepalen waar en hoe je nu het beste kunt ingrijpen. Zijn de besmettingen te herleiden tot één brandhaard, zoals bij de feestjes in Goes of het café in Hillegom? Dan kun je nog zorgen dat mensen zich laten testen en het virus niet verder verspreiden.

Note Almere Digest: Attentie kabinet Rutte, wordt wakker, val niet dieper in slaap.  ACTIE NU.

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Aantal besmettingen schiet omhoog: 'Je ziet wat je kon voorspellen'

The Netherlands:Trump's ambassador to the Netherlands tweets photo of Nazi cemetery

Pete Hoekstra, the US ambassador to the Netherlands, on Thursday visiteda Dutch cemetery where members of an elite Nazi unit intricatelyinvolved in the Holocaust are buried.

It's unclear if Hoekstra was aware members of the Waffen SS, the elite Nazi unit, are buried at the cemetery.

Trump tapped Hoekstra to be the US ambassador to the Netherlands in 2017.

His tenure got off to a rocky start due to anti-Muslim comments he made regarding the Netherlands back in 2015. 

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Trump's ambassador to the Netherlands tweets photo of Nazi cemetery - Business Insider

The Netherlands: Burqa ban, face mask laws frustrate Dutch Muslims

On August 1 it will be one year since the Dutch government approved a controversial law prohibiting clothing that "completely covers the face." It followed similar, albeit stricter, bans in France and Belgium.

The Dutch ban prohibited such clothing from being worn in public transport or in public buildings such as schools, hospitals and government buildings. Unlike in France and Belgium, the burqa is still permitted to be worn in the streets.

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Burqa ban, face mask laws frustrate Dutch Muslims | Europe| News and current affairs from around the continent | DW | 01.08.2020

Coronavirus Vaccine: EU poised to secure Sanofi deal for coronavirus vaccine

The European Union's executive on Friday wrapped up preliminary talks with French drugmaker Sanofi aimed at securing its COVID-19 vaccine for the 27-country EU bloc, the latest deal with vaccine producers.

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EU poised to secure Sanofi deal for coronavirus vaccine - Reuters:

EU sanctions Russian, Chinese hackers over alleged cyberattacks

The European Union on Thursday imposed its first ever sanctions for alleged cyberattacks. The measures involve financial and travelrestrictions against officials from Russian military intelligence, as well as firms from North Korea and China, member states said in a statement.

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EU sanctions Russian, Chinese hackers over alleged cyberattacks | News | DW | 30.07.2020

The Netherlands: Up to twice as many coronavirus deaths in the Netherlands as registered - by Victoria Séveno

In a report published by CBS on coronavirus mortalities in the Netherlands, the statistics office reported that the number of people who died of coronavirus is likely 50 to 100 percent higher than the number recorded and previously reported by the RIVM. While it has been known since the initial outbreak of the virus that more people have died than has been reported, this report gives a true indication of the excess mortality

Excess mortality is an epidemiological term to refer to the number of “extra” deaths in a period of time in comparison to what is expected under “normal” conditions. It is used to measure the number of deaths in a period of crisis (like a pandemic) when not all deaths have been officially recorded.

The report reveals that, between March 9 and May 24, the excess mortality was between 8.593 and 11.691, with these numbers revealing the minimum and maximum number of people who died from coronavirus in this time period. However, the number of recorded coronavirus deaths in that 11-week period was 5.900. CBS therefore calculates that, for every 10 registered deaths, between five and ten more people actually died of coronavirus, saying this conclusion can be drawn with 95 percent certainty.

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Up to twice as many coronavirus deaths in the Netherlands as registered