Information for the press

Contact details for questions about the coronavirus (press only)

Contact details for questions about COVID-19 are given by topic, below. Outside office hours, spokespersons are available for urgent questions only. Please note that spokespersons can be out of office during the summer holidays. Their out of office period can be found below. You can also email your questions to: perscoronavirus@minvws.nl. Your questions will be dealt with during office hours.

You might find answers to your questions also in: Coronavirus COVID-19. 
 

Coronavirus-related topic	Spokesperson	Phone number
Testing	Axel Dees	+31 (06) 15 94 37 88
Coronavirus app / digital tools	Tom Kummel	+31 (06) 52 64 18 73
Personal protective equipment (PPE)	Tom Elbersen	+31 (0)6 11 87 63 63
Pharmaceuticals	Tom Elbersen	+31 (0)6 11 87 63 88
Source and contact tracing	Axel Dees	+31 (06) 15 94 37 88
COVID-19 Dashboard	Daphne Kerremans	+31 (06) 11 53 74 90
Act laying down COVID-19 control measures	Daphne Kerremans	+31 (06) 11 53 74 90
Vaccines and new treatments	Axel Dees	+31 (06) 15 94 37 88
IC capacity	Inge Freriksen	+31 (06) 15 36 93 50
Sports	Tom Elbersen	+31 (0)6 11 87 63 63
Caribbean parts of the Kingdom	Ruben van Dorssen	+31 (0)6 15 03 50 04
Hospitals and rehabilitation	Inge Freriksen	+31 (06) 15 36 93 50
Continuity of care	Inge Freriksen	+31 (06) 15 36 93 50
Nursing homes	Axel Dees	+31 (06) 15 94 37 88
Mental health care	Toon van Wijk	+31 (0)6 27 00 34 01
Sheltered housing	Emilie Westerouen van Meeteren	+31 (0)6 11 91 97 81
Homeless shelters	Emilie Westerouen van Meeteren	+31 (0)6 11 91 97 81

Topics dealt with by other public bodies

Because of the high pressure of work, we do not answer questions on topics that fall under the remit of other public bodies. These topics and the organisations responsible are:

• Key workers and critical processes: National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV)
• Testing policy and statistics: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM)
• Measures concerning physical distancing and gatherings: Ministry of Justice and Security
• Implementation of restrictions on air travel: Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
• (Repatriation of) Dutch nationals abroad: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Production of medical devices and personal protective equipment (e.g. face masks) in the Netherlands: Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy
• Aviation, taxis, public transport, logistics, driving schools: Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
• Employers, employees, measures to safeguard jobs, childcare, healthy and safe working conditions, migrant workers: Ministry of Social Affairs
• Construction and building services, border areas, crossborder workers: Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
• Fisheries, floriculture, food crops, livestock, agricultural surpluses: Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.

Spokespersons for Hugo de Jonge, Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport

Daphne Kerremans

Out of office from 18th of July till 12th of August

M: +31 (0)6 11 53 74 90
E: da.kerremans@minvws.nl

• Disability care
• Labour market policy
• Personal budget (PGB)
• UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

Axel Dees

Out of office from 18th of July till 16th of August

M: +31 (0)6 15 94 37 88
E: aj.dees@minvws.nl

• Elderly care
• Social support
• Medical ethical issues
• Home-based nursing care

Tom Kummel

At the office during the summer holidays

M: +31 (0)6 52 64 18 73
E: tb.kummel@minvws.nl

• Youth policy, the Youth Act and youth healthcare
• Domestic violence and child abuse

Martijn Janssen

At the office during the summer holidays

M: +31 (0)6 11 37 61 21
E: martijn.janssen@minvws.nl

• Corporate affairs

Spokespersons Tamara van Ark, Minister for Medical Care and Sport

Inge Freriksen

Out of office from 18th of July till 26th of July and from 3rd of August till 30th of August

T: +31 (0)70 340 65 62
M: +31 (0)6 15 36 93 50
E: i.freriksen@minvws.nl

• Curative care
• Healthcare system
• Legal cannabis cultivation experiment

Karim Mostafi

Out of office from 3rd of July till 2nd of August

M: +31 (0)6 15 68 38 22
E: k.mostafi@minvws.nl

• Health insurance
• Control of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance
• Food safety and product safety
• Administrative burdens
• Health protection
• Labour market policy and training, and administrative burden

Tom Elbersen

At the office during the summer holidays

T: +31 (0)70 340 56 76
M: +31 (0)6 11 87 63 63
E: t.elbersen@minvws.nl

• Pharmaceuticals, medical devices and medical technology
• Personal protective equipment
• E-health/ IT in healthcare
• Organ and blood donation
• Sport

Tim Bennebroek

Out of office from 11th of July till 19th of July

M: +31 (0)6 44 93 65 66
E: tg.bennebroek@minvws.nl

Spokespersons for Paul Blokhuis, State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport

Ruben van Dorssen

Out of office from 18th of July till 23rd of August

T: +31 (0)70 340 53 87
M: +31 (0)6 15 03 50 04
E: ruben.vandorssen@minvws.nl

• Prevention
• Health promotion (lifestyle)
• Community service
• Ministry affairs relating to Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba

Toon van Wijk

Out of office from 24th of August till 4th of September

M: +31 (0)6 27 00 34 01 
E: aj.v.wijk@minvws.nl

• Mental healthcare

Emilie Westerouen van Meeteren

Out of office from 11th of July till 19th of July and from 31st of July till 9th of August

M: +31 (0)6 11 91 97 81
E: emilie.wvm@minvws.nl

• Community shelter and assisted living
• Recreational drugs (except cannabis)

Tom Wisseborn

Out of office from 18th of July till 9th of  August

M: +31 (0)6 11 78 43 62
E: tr.wisseborn@minvws.nl

• War victims and former members of the resistance