No matter what kind of (idiotic) measures are put in place here in the Netherlands, the government is always taking cover behind a group of experts, called the Outbreak Management Team. There is little available information about who exactly is a member of this group (or how big is this group), only generic bits and pieces. But from time to time they're advising on how the things should be run.
The latest advice is extending the usage of masks pretty much everywhere, not only indoors (which is already the case). In their expert opinion, you have to wear the masks in open air markets, most of the time on the street and, not surprisingly at all, at any anti-covid-measures demostrations that you might be attending.
So far, there is no concrete proof that the masks are actually efficient in preventing the virus transmission. But they are a symbol of enforced rules and, as admitted even by the OMT, can create additional problems:
Vulnerable people, however, should use a thicker FFP2 medical mask when possible, even though there are drawbacks to their prolonged use, such as breathing difficulties, the OMT said.
Other expert measure is related to schools, and propose to place the whole class in quarantine, if three children are diagnosed with coronavirus. The education had already a bumpy year in 2021, with a lot of suspended activities, online education and so forth. This is just another hit, since it would be impossible to keep the famous Omicron variant out of the schools. One solution to avoid these closures is for the parents to stop testing their kids (or themselves), but yeah, some people are mesmerized by their leaders and they cannot accept that the government might be doing something evil at all. Ever.
Meanwhile, after months and months of negotiations and delays, the Netherlands has a new government, led by (the same) Mark Rutte. And it's photo time with the King.
