Face masks in the Netherlands are controversial. The rest of the world has just got on and worn them, but not the Dutch. But that is about to change. Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, declared this week that the government intends to make the wearing of face masks indoors in public spaces compulsory. As soon as possible.
We’re Dutch and We Don’t Believe in Face Masks
The blog post ‘No Face Masks in the Netherlands – Why?’ has been a popular post on the Turning Dutch blog since I wrote it two months ago.
Rutte has dissuaded the general public using face masks since the start of the coronavirus pandemic back in March. It seemed to be, in the first instance at least, related to the scarcity of medical face masks. The fear was real that health professionals would be left even more wanting for protective equipment than they were.
Over the summer Jaap van Dissel, the Dutch Director of Centrum Infectieziektebestrijding at the RIVM, repeatedly stated that there is no scientific evidence for the use of face masks. Despite the fact that the World Health Organization shifted its position on the use of face masks in the general population. The WHO is now actively encouraging use where social distancing cannot be practiced.
Whilst the rest of Europe donned face masks in April, our intrepid Dutch infection prevention warrior, Jaap van Dissel, dismissed the need for face masks.
The Second Wave Threatened
And then things changed. In September infections began to rise rapidly. Particularly in the big cities in the Randstad. Why?
For one, school children headed back to schools. Schoold are fully open for the first time in six months. There are no additional measures in place to counteract the spread of the virus in schools. (Because, according to our virus guru Jaap van Dissel, kids don’t spread the virus. And they are rarely particularly ill if they do happen to get the virus. My kids were obviously faking. We did not really need a doctor to prescribe an inhaler despite no previous breathing issues for Mr 8. Mr 10 did not spend the entire summer feeling exhausted after a bout of the virus).
And then holidaymakers danced their way though Schiphol and other Dutch airports without any testing. Even when returning from countries where the virus risk was deemed to be higher than in the Netherlands. Dismising government advice to quarantine for 10 days, everyone piled back into their cars and onto public transport and headed back to work.
So token half-arsed regional measures were put in place. Patrons of bars had to drink up with the lights on, without music playing in the background and get off home by 1 am. Something like that.
And then bar patrons were hit once more as the government told all cafes to close at 10pm.
Which meant avid drinkers queued at their local corner shops at closing time to stock up on alcohol. This way they could party further at home. Or in the parks.
And so the government told the corner shops to close at 10pm too.
‘Dringend Advies’ to Wear Face Masks
And then, two weeks ago, Rutte ‘strongly advised’ that people should wear face masks in supermarkets and shops. He stated that it wasn’t compulsory, because under Dutch law they can’t force anyone to don a face mask.
The next day the news was full of face mask questions, statements, incidents and criticism. ‘Urgent advice’ from the PM meant that whilst one retail chain required customers to wear face masks (such as the Bijenkorf) others blatantly declared no one would be turned away for not wearing a face mask (looking at you Hema).
The dringend advies served merely to confuse and divide society. It also catapulted meaningless talk show guests into the limelight to inflict their unwanted face mask opinions on the rest of the Dutch population.
To Wear or Not to Wear a Face Mask
An Een Vandaag opinion poll after the press conference of two weeks ago revealed that 68% supported wearing face masks in shops. However, although many people carry a face mask around with them, the barrier of actually putting it on when others are not wearing one is a big one. That’s the impact of issuing advice, but not making it compulsory.
Much discussion ensued. And the rates at which mondkapjes have been worn has been mixed. Some on Twitter report seeing very few people in their local supermarket wearing face masks. In a Coop local to me all customers but two has face masks on, and all staff members. In our local Jumbo there was security on the door helping those reluctant to wear a face mask find the exit.
So a mixed bag. Different approaches. Varying reactions. In short, wisselend results.
Face Masks VERPLICHT
And so to the latest press conference that the PM and Hugo de Jonge held on Tuesday (13 October). The Dutch duo presented a series of stricter measures to combat the spread of Covid.
Cafes and restaurants are now shut for four weeks. There is an alcohol and soft drugs (though this is being revisited) ban in public after 8pm.
Amateur team sports have been put on hold. Except for the under 18s who may continue training (as they don’t spread the virus, or get particularly sick remember). All competitions however, have been paused to curtail the movement of people.
There are further restrictions on the amount of guests you may have in your home. So too the number of people you can meet up with outside the home.
The most surprising measure however, was the declaration about face masks. The government is working on legislation to make the wearing of face masks compulsory in indoor public spaces. The PM explained: Dutch society has spent more time in the past two weeks discussing face masks because of the ‘dringend advies’ declaration, than actually just wearing the damn things*. The idea is that making them compulsory will put an end to the nonsense.
*No, they are not his exact words.
And the pièce de résistance? The picture in the media yesterday of our very own nietzosupervirusbestrijderleider, Jaap van Dissel WEARING A FACE MASK.
Quite the U-Turn
So in the Netherlands we have gone from “face masks have no added value in the fight against the corona virus” to “we will amend the law to make sure you all wear face masks”.
Face masks in the Netherlands: this is surely the U-turn of all U-turns. It’s like the Netherlands has been sat watching Boris Johnson at work and suddenly piped up, “Houd mijn bier vast……”
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