Month: January 2021

Freedom of the press

Posted on by gotthepatter

Since the curfew was introduced in the Netherlands 3 days ago we have seen a change in mood among the young. The age group starts around 14 and goes up into the early twenties. The day after the first curfew, groups of discontents started mini riots in Amsterdam, Eindhoven and some smaller places like Urk.

These were not demonstrations as such, although gatherings of anti-corona measure demonstrators found their actions piggy-backed by hooligans. The day of the 3rd curfew, Monday 25th January, saw groups of young people running riot on several towns and cities. Even my local mayor announced a state of emergency for certain areas of the town, including where I live. Fortunately, my town was spared any large scale breaches of the peace. Other towns were not so fortunate.

Vandalism and looting has featured in many places, with some shops almost completely emptied of their contents. One mayor on Sunday feared for a move towards civil war (quote, unquote) although that is really not the case.

Press reporters and cameramen have valiantly tried to capture the scenes so that we could see what was happening on our television screens and computers. They were sometimes even turned on by the rioters.

The police brought in flying squads and water canons and so far have finally managed to quell the riots by the end of the evening.

All this is a matter of record. But then you have the various talk-shows on the television and radio. Some of the presenters and interviewers have been asking quite stupid questions, and even twisting the answers of those being interviewed.

The mayor of Amsterdam stated several times in an interview this evening that it was important that legitimate demonstrations continue to be facilitated as long as the organisers followed the rules set out by the town hall, but the interviewer kept on suggesting that demonstrations weren’t possible in Amsterdam at the moment.

It seems that the freedom of the press also includes the freedom to ask stupid questions and ignore the answers given. At a time like this, that is very disappointing.

Posted in ENG

Lottery

Posted on by gotthepatter

The planning for the Dutch anti-corona vaccination programme has been published. The group I am in shows in a time line from the very end of March to nearly the end of September. This applies to all elderly people living at home. The 18-60 group, which was originally supposed to be last in line, will begin already in May and their time line actually stops before the one for my group!

The bottom line is that I may have to wait 8 or 9 months for my turn. Knowing my luck with lotteries, that is probably what will happen.

For my own safety, I cannot make plans to visit anywhere or go on holiday or be with a group of friends for another three quarters of a year.

To be honest, I am feeling quite low today. I have even taken the unprecedented step of writing letters to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health. Together with the rest of the cabinet, they are responsible for making these plans.

Let me compare the reports from the UK:

Broadly, vaccines are being given to the most vulnerable first, as set out in a list of nine high-priority groups, covering around 30 million people.
They are thought to represent 90-99% of those at risk of dying from Covid-19.
1. Residents in care homes for older adults and their carers
2. 80-year-olds and over and frontline health and social care workers
3. 75-year-olds and over
4. 70-year-olds and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
5. 65-year-olds and over
6. 16- to 64-year-olds with serious underlying health conditions
7. 60-year-olds and over
8. 55-year-olds and over
9. 50-year-olds and over

30 million people is around half the UK population, and double the Dutch population. Those 9 groups cover most people at risk. In the UK I would be in group 5.

What’s more, the UK hopes to have everyone in those 9 groups vaccinated by Easter, which is the beginning of April.

The Dutch programme has put several parallel lines in place, 4 in fact. Their excuse – sorry, explanation – is the implementation of different vaccines. All those four lines stretch well into September. The line I am in stretches the furthest. Although I am in the 90-99% of vulnerable people (according to the BBC report), I could conceivably one of the last in the Netherlands to be vaccinated. So much for prioritising the vulnerable!

The race to be vaccinated

Posted on by gotthepatter

There is an old joke about someone told to ‘jump’. In a disciplined environment, the only proper response is ‘how high?’ !

One exception to this rule is the Netherlands. Here the response would probably be ‘what do the rules say?’ or ‘we should discuss this first in round table talks’.

In the Netherlands, the priority groups selected for the corona vaccination were first announced as follows: patients and carers in geriatric, handicap and home care, then 60 plussers, then onder 60s with underlying medical conditions, and then general health care workers, and so on.

Inevitably, in a country like this, various groups started lobbying for alternative priorities. First the hospitals argued for priority vaccination of front line corona workers, then ambulance personnel and now GPs.

The original plan followed the science, and seems to compare with what other countries are doing. The Dutch have a love-hate relationship with science. The opinions of lay people, or the man in the street, are regarded with equal value. However, at the end of the day, it is still a question of ‘elbowing’ one’s way to the front, armed with whatever arguments have the most sway, irrespective of whether they are based on fact or not. I wonder why this nation is the last EU country to actually start vaccinating?

At the moment, the silent group of 60 plussers and others with underlying health conditions is being pushed quietly down the queue.

Instead of trying to protect the more vulnerable so they do not end up in hospital, those manning the front lines in hospitals, ambulances and GP surgeries are getting priority. I wouldn’t mind so much if loud mouths from those groups hadn’t been so vocal about their misgivings on vaccination.

In the meantime, I have to continue my semi-recluse existence for another a few months at least, even though I have no hesitation whatsoever about being vaccinated.