This is what we can expect from the press conference tonight

Tonight it's that time again: a press conference. Or by now ‘persco’ in common parlance. While I was still quite tense before the broadcast at seven o'clock, I haven't really been concerned about it the last few times. I keep thinking it will be disappointing anyway. So to then listen for an hour to how Mark Rutte and Hugo de Jonge tell us that we will still be indoors for the time being, nah...

But will tonight perhaps be different? Can we go back to the pub? Big parties for New Year's Eve? Hugging everyone for three days at Christmas? I'll go through it with you. But spoiler alert: none of that above is going to happen.

What will change?
Not much, actually. Apparently, we haven't shown that we can handle the measures well lately, and thus the numbers haven't gone down, and therefore we won't get any relaxations during the holidays. On the contrary, it is assumed that we will massively break the rules. That's why it is even advised to organize a short but stricter lockdown in January.

However, there may be a possibility that the Christmas holiday for schools will be extended; three weeks instead of two. The OMT even advises four weeks, so two extra weeks. But then online lessons will have to be followed. This fourth extra week should be after New Year's Eve, because then we will massively break the rules and children will spend some extra time ‘in quarantine’ and not at school.

I may sound a bit negative, but that might be because I am a bit. There is of course no good way to do this, because there is always criticism, but to say in advance that people will break the rules and therefore there will be no relaxations... Then you are actually asking for people to do that, right? A bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, if you ask me.

And the hospitality industry... Yes, that opening date is still not in sight. While sports lessons are allowed again, cinemas are open again, and so on. The numbers keep rising in the meantime. You would think that the hospitality industry is really not the culprit? Well, we'll wait and see. Playing home restaurant at Christmas will definitely happen, so I might as well start stocking up on decorations.