‘The travel advice for the period after 15 May comes on 3 May’, says Rutte

On Monday 3 May the new travel advice will be announced. That is when we hear what will be allowed again around travel abroad after 15 May. Caretaker prime minister Mark Rutte made that commitment this evening.

A mention of the travel advice was missing from the reopening plan.

A question about the summer holidays

At the press conference just now a journalist asked about the summer holidays once again.

• “I think I asked it a month ago: when will people know what they can do? You said: I will come back to this very soon. I do not know what very soon means?”

No promises, but we will say something about the travel advice

“(…) We will look at everything again as of 3 May”, Rutte answered. That is when the next step in the reopening plan may be taken. “But again: only if it is possible, and all the conditions. So no promises, not in pen, but in quickly erasable ink.”

• “But we will indeed say something on 3 May about the travel advice we will give after 15 May. That comes on 3 May.”

Watching a holiday evaporate

“Last week we said we always keep something in reserve about the exact date on which each step can be taken”, Rutte said in his opening statement.

“And I repeat that today. Because indeed, it cannot be done without risks, but the risks have to be responsible. That is and remains a balancing act for now.”

Rutte pointed emphatically to the importance of care and caution. “We owe that to everyone in healthcare. The people working yet another extra shift. Who are watching another holiday evaporate.”

A fine summer?

At press conferences about corona (COVID-19) the focus is regularly on hope en perspective. At the same time there is that constant call for restraint when it comes to high expectations.

As early as February, caretaker minister Hugo de Jonge thought ‘a fine summer’ possible. But ‘we are not there yet’, he says today. “We really are stuck with those measures for a while.”

A wonderful prospect

“Today we are at more than 4.5 million jabs. With over 9 thousand vaccinations an hour now, more than a quarter of adults have had their first jab”, De Jonge says in his account.

“For the pace we are and remain dependent on the vaccines that are delivered. And because there are more and more of them, we are on schedule to have vaccinated everyone at least once by the beginning of July.”

The health minister goes on: “Once we get there, then it can be a fine summer. And that is a wonderful prospect. But note: it is still only a prospect. Because we are not there yet.”