Prime Minister of the Netherlands admitted to mistakes in the fight against coronavirus

The Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, stated that he did not share the view that the authorities of the country had not paid sufficient attention to the distribution of protective funds among the staff of nursing homes since the outbreak of coronavirus. However, he does not rule out mistakes in the fight against the virus. He stated this at a briefing on 17 April at the conclusion of the meeting of the Council of Ministers. According to him, mistakes are inevitable in crisis situations. Government experts concluded this week that shortages of protective gear and test kits played a role in the spread of coronavirus in nursing homes. On 16 April, it was reported that the mortality rate in nursing homes had increased fivefold from 1 to 14 April. Rutte stated that he did not agree that too much attention had been paid to medical institutions since the beginning of the coronacrisis. He called the increased attention to resuscitation understandable in the current conditions. However, the Prime Minister acknowledged that mistakes could be made in the fight against the virus. However, in his opinion, this is not the time for assessments. Rutte expressed hope that the new system would lead to a more even distribution of protective equipment. In addition, he recalled increasing opportunities for coronavirus infection tests.