T
The Netherlands to go Dark Red on EU map this month, De Jonge says
he sharp increase in coronavirus infections this past month means the Netherlands will be categorized at Dark Red by the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, said Health Minister Hugo de Jonge. That is the most serious risk level out of four classifications from the ECDC.
When De Jonge and Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced the withdrawal of coronavirus measures, 100 contagious
Putting the entire country at Dark Red increases the possibility that more countries require people traveling from the Netherlands to quarantine on arrival. It can also result in stricter coronavirus testing policies against those departing from the Netherlands. “We will discuss this with countries, whether this is really necessary, but in the end it is up to the countries themselves,” De Jonge told reporters gathered for a short press conference. Belgium, France and Germany all tightened up restrictions for people arriving from the Netherlands just when the Netherlands was placed at the Red level. The ECDC updates its map weekly on Fridays. In its last update on July 15, it moved all of the Netherlands to the second most serious level, Red, except for Groningen. That province jumped from Green, indicating no risk, to red dark. The Cabinet eliminated most coronavirus restrictions in the Netherlands on June 26. Since the start of the month, the average number of daily coronavirus infections ballooned from 608 on June 30 to 10,101 on July 18. It was expected to edge higher in the new month with summer in and people gathering more together freely.
people were infecting about 80 others with the SARSCoV-2 coronavirus. By last month, it was estimated that the same number of people were passing the infection on to 291 others, placing the basic reproduction (R) number at 2.91, a record high since the pandemic began. The Cabinet reintroduced some restrictions related to the hospitality and events sectors, and has asked people to work from home as much as possible. It now also advises people to ventilate indoor spaces on a daily basis. efore the August house to deliberate and vote on it.
Hon Kennedy Nyarko Osei visits Ghana House of Assembly Speaker Honorable Kennedy Osei had a meeting with Prof. Kwaku Asare (aka Prof. Kwaku Azar), the speaker of Ghana’s Parliament to discuss a private members bill he has sponsored to amend both Article 8(2) and 94 (2a) of the 1992 constitution to allow their brothers, sisters and friends in the Diaspora with dual citizenship to be able to contest and also hold key political positions in the country which the constitution currently frowns on it without any constitutional restrictions. This bill if it goes through will allow Ghanaians abroad with dual citizenship to contest for elections without renunciation of their foreign citizenships. According to Augustina Osei who accompanied the Honorable said the meeting was fruitful and hoping to have a broader stakeholder consultations to move this critical amendment forward before it is presented before the August house to deliberate and vote on it. www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com
61
