![]() ![]() With respect to the protection of vulnerable people, from the beginning of April 2020 onwards, the numbers of diseased showed a steep decline. The Dutch approach seemed relatively successful with respect to all three sides of the triangle. During the summer months the daily numbers of new infections declined. Germany, Belgium, the U.K., Denmark, and the southern countries of France, Spain, and Italy were more severe. The main focus of the second lockdown was on strictly limiting contact between people.Ĭompared to most neighboring countries, the Dutch intelligent lockdown during the first wave seemed relatively mild. Rapidly rising COVID-19 infection rates led to the second, more severe lockdown beginning in December 2020. The first lockdown started on March 23 and ended June 1, 2020. Also, government provisions for the cultural sector were too meager for most groups to survive. On the other hand, many part-time “flex workers” in the Dutch economy became unemployed these were mostly vulnerable young people, almost all left without compensation. This continued during the second lockdown, in autumn 2020. This made it possible for most businesses to survive and pay their tenured personnel. Part of the economy came to a standstill, but firms were immediately compensated by a generous tax-funded financial assistance policy. Nevertheless, it soon narrowed down to an almost exclusive focus on sufficient intensive care capacity. The intelligent lockdown began with a broad triangled focus: health, economy, and the protection of vulnerable people. Although there was no scientific evidence for it-on the contrary-the majority in Parliament wanted to copy the surrounding countries by closing the schools. Rather soon, the initial policies were overruled by a powerful group of medical specialists who influenced the political arena with the call for stronger measures such as closing schools and day-care centers and wearing face masks. This team was closely related to and depended on the input of the RIVM. ![]() The MP was assisted by an Outbreak Management Team (OMT), a team of experts with experience in the management of infectious diseases. The so-called intelligent lockdown strongly stressed by Minister President (MP) Mark Rutte, meant that Dutch citizens were taken seriously as thinking creatures who should and could behave in a responsible way. Schools remained open, but universities had to close. As in neighboring countries, the intelligent propositions included the emphasis on 1.5 meter social distancing, hand washing, and restricting mobility by closing universities, restaurants, sport centers, cinemas, museums, the whole cultural sector, restricting shopping, and emphasizing telework from home. 4 The basic goal of the Dutch COVID-19 pandemic policy was to protect vulnerable people and to strike a balance between the health infrastructure-not to overburden hospitals and healthcare personnel-and to support the economy, small and larger businesses, and protect employment. With 170 million animals, the country has a high animal density as well (~4000 a/km 2), leading to areas with bad air quality 2 and relatively high risk of zoonosis, 3 important factors in the COVID-19 pandemic. The Netherlands has 17 million inhabitants and is one of the most densely populated countries in the world (411 p/km 2). But was it? And if so, was it successful during the second pandemic wave? Since the first reported death from COVID-19 on March 6, 2020, the Netherlands mitigated the effects of the virus by various forms of what it coined “the intelligent lockdown.” It was presented as a unique Dutch COVID-19 policy, distinctive from neighboring countries. government’s chief COVID-19 advisor, said in a public lecture, “ look with envy” at the Netherlands because of its “unambiguous approach to the pandemic.” 1 These figures were reported by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment ( RIVM). “ A grim milestone: Number of COVID-19 deaths surpasses 10,000 in The Netherlands” the NL Times published on December 12, 2020.
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