The Netherlands: Government has wishy washy poicy in wearing masks

Some things are hard to get your head around, even in 2020. The Dutch reluctance to don face masks is one of them. When I brought my daughter to get tested for Covid-19 recently, I was shocked to find that most people waiting in line weren’t wearing face masks. The medical professionals taking the swabs were in full gear, but even the workers checking our details were maskless. This was, after all, a place you could (in theory) only walk into if you had symptoms. Even more shocking was the man who checked-in my other daughter and I at the drive-thru testing centre at Amsterdam RAI. I asked him why he wasn’t wearing a mask. He said he had been, mostly to protect himself against the car fumes, but his bosses told him to take it off. Why has the Netherlands been virtually alone among its European neighbours—and much of the world—in its reluctance to mandate masks? Read more at: Despite the government u-turn, the Dutch are still unwilling to wear masks - DutchNews.nl

Italy: Mike Pompeo Denied Audience With Pope Francis | HuffPost

The Vatican denied U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s request for an audience with Pope Francis this week, saying the pope would not see Pompeo in the midst of the ongoing American election.

“Yes, he asked,” Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin told The Associated Press as Pompeo is in Europe for a weeklong visit. “But the pope had already said clearly that political figures are not received in election periods. That is the reason.”

Pompeo will still meet with Parolin and other top Vatican officials during the visit, but the refusal was seen by some as the latest example of a political rift between the United States and the Vatican. During a religious freedom conference this week, Pompeo issued a strong denouncement of a deal the Catholic Church signed two years ago with China related to the appointment of bishops, which it is considering extending.President Donald Trump has taken a hard line against China, as has Pompeo, in the leadup to the U.S. election in November. The secretary of state has also taken unusual efforts to use his political authority to promote religious freedom.

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 Mike Pompeo Denied Audience With Pope Francis | HuffPost

Netherlands: Hundreds of UK firms turn to Netherlands with Brexit transition wrapping up

 Hundreds of British companies are working on opening a branch in the
Netherlands by the end of this year, when the Brexit transition period
ends. The Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) is receiving
daily requests for information from British companies, AD reports.



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Hundreds of UK firms turn to Netherlands with Brexit transition wrapping up | NL Times

The Netherlands (finally) considers nationwide face mask obligation

Following the Netherlands’ announcement of the stricter
measures against the coronavirus on Monday, calls for a national face
mask obligation in the country are rising.

The Dutch government’s current measure
– that shopkeepers in the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague
should only allow customers wearing a face mask to enter their shops –
is perceived as unclear, according to the Dutch Lower House.

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The Netherlands considers nationwide face mask obligation

The Netherlands: Dutch bring in new rules, forecast 5,000 coronavirus cases a day by next week

The Dutch government expects the number of positive coronavirus cases a day to reach 5,000 by next week, health minister Hugo de Jonge told reporters during Monday evening’s press conference to outline new measures to stem the spread.

Read more at: 

Dutch bring in new rules, forecast 5,000 coronavirus cases a day by next week - DutchNews.nl

European airlines cutting fares to woo back passengers

According to ForwardKeys, a company which analyses the tourism market,
airlines trimmed fares from Britain, France, Germany and the Netherlands
to destinations in southern Europe by 15 percent in August compared
with the same period last year.

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Netherlands lockdown looming if people ignore Covid rules: Security boss

With coronavirus infections continuing to rise fast, and hospitalizations for Covid-19 growing at an exponential rate, lockdown measures will be needed to get the health problem under control if people do not do a better job of maintaining a safe distance from each other, said Nijmegen Mayor Hubert Bruls. In addition to his role as mayor, Bruls serves as the chair of the Gelderland-Zuid Security Region, one of eight regions added to the list of those at a "worrying" level with regard to the coronavirus crisis.

Read more at: https://nltimes.nl/