AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Virologists within the Netherlands have proposed extending holidays over Christmas to sluggish a surge in COVID-19 instances amongst kids that has pressured half of faculties nationwide to ship lessons residence, however the authorities stated it needed to maintain them open.
The Nationwide Institute for Well being (RIVM) reported a file variety of over 110,000 instances within the week to Nov. 16, a rise of 44% from the earlier seven days. The strongest rise was amongst kids aged 4-12.
Infections amongst kids of major college age, aged 5 to 9, jumped virtually 85%, and amongst kids aged 10-14 by 76%.
“Protecting major faculties closed for longer is an efficient method to preserve the virus beneath management,” immunologist Ger Rijkers advised the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper. “Youngsters are virus factories and infect adults in addition to one another.”
Nevertheless, Schooling Minister Arie Slob took a special stance, noting that the majority academics had been vaccinated and most youngsters solely skilled delicate signs of COVID-19.
“The cupboard has agreed to protect training as a lot as doable (from restrictions). I’m satisfied it’s accountable to maintain faculties open,” he stated on Twitter.
The European Union’s drug regulator is more likely to disclose its view on the usage of Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine in kids aged 5 to 11 subsequent week, Austria’s well being ministry stated on Wednesday.
Round 85% of Dutch adults have been totally vaccinated, however infections have hit file ranges in latest weeks after the federal government ended social distancing and different measures in September.
Authorities have reintroduced mask-wearing and reimposed a partial lockdown, with bars and eating places closing at 8 p.m.
All 12 Dutch provinces shall be darkish purple – the very best alert stage – for the primary time on a weekly chart revealed by the European Centre for Illness Prevention and Management on Thursday.
(Reporting by Anthony Deutsch and Bart Meijer; Modifying by Gareth Jones)
