Second COVID-19 Wave In Netherlands May Last Until March - National Institute For Health

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th November, 2020) A second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in the Netherlands can last until March if the current rate of the spread of the virus in the country persists, experts from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Jaap van Dissel and Jacco Wallinga, said in an interview with the Dutch NOS broadcaster.

"Yes, this is very realistic," Wallinga said on Saturday when asked if it was possible that the situation in the Netherlands will not stabilize until March if the daily increase in COVID-19 cases continues to grow at the current rate.

According to the RIVM's preliminary estimates, the COVID-19 incidence in the Netherlands was set to drop to the last summer's rates in January.

Van Dissel expressed an opinion that the rather slow rate at which the number of daily cases had been declining could be the result of more people switching back to working from office rather than home.

"Ultimately, all this is reflected in the number of contacts with other people, which partly determines the number of those infected. One gets the impression that as soon as there is good news people let their guards down," van Dissel added.

To date, the Netherlands has confirmed 513,325 cases of the coronavirus, including 9,326 fatalities.