A new study which promises to reveal how many people have antibodies for the novel coronavirus is set to be launched over the course of the next several months, Dutch public health agency RIVM announced on Monday.
"In the coming months, RIVM will measure antibodies in the blood over several rounds of research," a statement announcing the study reads. "With the results, RIVM aims to learn more about the spread of the virus and about the development of herd immunity in all age groups."
Speaking about the heightened tensions between the Netherlands and several southern EU nations over the issuance of “coronabonds”, Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra indicated on Tuesday that he had previously shown “too little empathy” for the plight of Europe's southern economies. Such a measure would be designed to support weaker economies, particularly in the south, which are struggling under the weight of the coronavirus pandemic.
The measures in place to curb the spread of coronavirus Covid-19 will be extended until at least April 28, Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced in a press conference on Tuesday evening, after meeting with experts, advisers and the Ministerial Crisis Management Team. During this time schools, daycare facilities, restaurants, museums, and other contact-heavy businesses will remain closed.
A hospital in Zuid-Holland today had a moment to celebrate an uplifting story in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic when it authorized the discharge of a 101-year-old woman who recovered from the respiratory illness Covid-19. The woman was kept in isolation at Ijsselland Ziekenhuis for about the past ten days after she entered the medical center complaining of a shortness of breath.
The opening of Lelystad Airport, intended to take over holiday flights from crowded Schiphol, has again been delayed, this time due to the coronavirus crisis. The planned opening at the end of this year is no longer feasible, Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen of Infrastructure said in a letter to parliament on Tuesday. The aim is now to open the airport in November 2021, she said, NU.nl reports.
Spring in the Netherlands started out with a record number of sunny hours this year, according to Weerplaza. Over the past 11 days, there were over 100 hours of sunshine in the country, breaking the 1933 record of 98 sunny hours. The sunny weather made it difficult for some people to stick to the social distancing measures in place to curb the spread of coronavirus Covid 19.
Some 1,039 people in the Netherlands who previously tested positive for coronavirus have died since the end of February, Dutch public health agency RIVM said on Tuesday. The figures include an additional 175 people whose deaths were recorded in the previous 24-hour period.
Customs authorities intercepted over 2 thousand kilograms of cocaine at the port of Rotterdam in multiple discoveries on Friday and Monday, the Public Prosecutor announced. The drugs were found hidden in shipments of fruit or fruit products from Brazil and Costa Rica.
On Friday, 1,170 kilograms of cocaine were found hidden in a container loaded with mangoes from Brazil. The shipment was destined for a company in Zwaag.
Rotterdam and the province of Zeeland closed campsites and other tourist destinations to keep tourists out of these regions, in order to not put too much pressure on their healthcare systems during the Covid-19 crisis.
Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb of Rotterdam ordered campsites and permanent holiday accommodations closed on the Zuid-Holland islands, according to RTL Nieuws. Though permanent residents will still be allowed to live in their homes located on holiday destinations.