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December 11, 2021

The Dutch style of government: good for dykes, bad for covid

The Netherlands has not decided yet if it will join a U.S. diplomatic boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Knapen said on Tuesday.

Read more at: Netherlands undecided on diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics -government | Reuters

December 9, 2021

EU: The Netherlands and Australia find the omicron variant as curbs spread

The Netherlands confirmed 13 cases of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus on Sunday and Australia found two as the countries half a world apart became the latest to detect it in travelers arriving from southern Africa.

A raft of curbs being imposed by nations around the world as they scramble to slow the variant's spread also grew, with Israel deciding Sunday to bar entry to foreign nationals in the toughest move so far.

Confirmed or suspected cases of the new variant have already emerged in several European countries, in Israel and in Hong Kong, just days after it was identified by researchers in South Africa. The "act first, ask questions later" approach reflected growing alarm about the emergence of a potentially more contagious variant nearly two years into a pandemic that has killed more than 5 million people, upended lives and disrupted economies across the globe.

Read more at: The Netherlands and Australia find the omicron variant as curbs spread : NPR

December 7, 2021

The Netherlands holds off on restrictions for the unvaccinated — for now – by Thibault Spirlet

The Dutch government on Monday decided not to move ahead with imposing restrictions on people who haven't been vaccinated against COVID-19 amid political opposition to the move and pressure on the country's health care system.

The cabinet was on December 14 due to discuss the measures, known as 2G, which would require people to show a certificate to prove they are vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 to access the hospitality industry and public events.

Critics of 2G say it is aimed at creating an incentive to get vaccinated but is not effective at limiting the spread of COVID-19, as even people who have been jabbed can suffer a breakthrough infection and infect others. Those who have previously been infected with COVID-19 also appear to be vulnerable to the new Omicron strain, designated a variant of concern by the World Health Organization.

Read more at: The Netherlands holds off on restrictions for the unvaccinated — for now – POLITICO

December 6, 2021

The Netherlands: Former Dutch queen Beatrix tests positive for coronavirus

Princess Beatrix, the 83-year-old former Dutch queen, has tested positive for the coronavirus, the royal house announced Saturday.

In a statement, the royal house said Beatrix got tested after feeling “mild cold symptoms.” It said she is in isolation at home and abiding by rules for people who have tested positive. The princess lives in a castle in the central Netherlands.

Read more at: Former Dutch queen Beatrix tests positive for coronavirus - ABC News

December 5, 2021

The Netherlands: Dutch say 14 air passengers from S. Africa with Omicron were vaccinated - by Toby Sterling

Dutch health authorities on Thursday said most of the 62 people who tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving on two flights from South Africa last week had been vaccinated, lending weight to a call for pre-flight testing regardless of vaccination status.

In addition, all 14 passengers who were later found to have been infected with the Omicron variant were vaccinated, health officials said on Thursday.

Read more at: Dutch say 14 air passengers from S. Africa with Omicron were vaccinated | Reuters

December 3, 2021

Coronavirus: Omicron was in Netherlands before South Africa raised alarm about new coronavirus variant - Perry Stein

The omicron variant had a foothold in multiple countries in Europe before travel restrictions were imposed, new genetic sequencing data has revealed.

Dutch officials said Tuesday that they had detected the variant, with its unusually high number of mutations, in a sample collected on Nov. 19 and another on Nov. 23 — well before Dutch authorities panicked over two flights from South Africa carrying infected passengers.

The earliest known cases are still from southern Africa. The first identified samples were collected Nov. 9, from a 34-year-old man and a 23-year-old man in Johannesburg, according to the GISAID global database. On Nov. 11, five

Read more at: Omicron was in Netherlands before South Africa raised alarm about new coronavirus variant - The Washington Post

December 1, 2021

Coronavirus: Big Pharma can’t be trusted to solve coronavirus - by Nick Dearden

People might think that pandemics are great levellers: in a crisis, no matter how rich you are, you are as likely to die from a contagious disease as anyone else.But this is far from true, and while deadly diseases are of course a major worry for us all, the impact on those who are poorer is much heavier.

Fead more at: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2020/3/10/big-pharma-cant-be-trusted-to-solve-coronavirus