By Sammie Jones-
A Dutch vaccine sceptic and anti-lockdown campaigner has died after being hospitalised with Covid-19.Robin Fransman, 53, an economist who became one of the most prominent anti-lockdown campaigners in the Netherlands after co-founding a group that argued for the lifting of restrictions earlier in the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is not clear whether the campaigner had any underlying issues made worse by the virus.
He had confirmed in early December that he had contracted the virus, tweeting, ‘Corona positive. It’s about time too.’ The NL Times reported that Fransman was admitted to hospital in Amsterdam shortly afterwards, and passed away yesterday, December 28.
Fransman- an avid anti lockdown campaigner- used his social media platforms to promote conspiracy theories, some of which denounced the concept of long Covid as a fantasy.
The prominent academic also undermined the efficacy of vaccines, vowing never to be inoculated against the deadly virus.
Mr Fransman was the founder of Herstel-NL, a controversial organisation founded in February, that lobbied for an alternative to lockdowns in the Netherlands.
He said that Herstel-NL wanted to give industry sectors space to make their own safe decisions for everyone.
“Lockdowns and strict measures may help some but not others,” Mr Fransman said.
“Because this is not safe for students, for people in the hospitality industry, for shopkeepers and many other groups in society.
“The lives of the vulnerable are important, but also the lives of the less vulnerable. It’s really not our intention to just throw open every door. We need to find a better balance.”
Fransman was one of a group of academics who launched Herstel-NL – an alternative plan that proposed establishing ‘corona-free zones’ which he claimed would protect the elderly and the vulnerable while allowing young people more freedom.
The campaign, which was established during the winter lockdown earlier this year, received fierce backlash from health officials and experts, and three of the nine founders resigned after less than a week, with Fransman claiming they had been subjected to ‘political’ pressure.
Early in 2021, the organization proposed a plan to reopen Dutch society rather than continuing with the lockdown that had been imposed at the time. The group proposed scrapping the lockdown and creating “safe zones” designed only to be used by vulnerable people—such as the elderly and those with underlying conditions—that would enable others to regain more freedom.
Shortly before being diagnosed with Covid-19 he confirmed on social media that he had not been vaccinated, but supported vaccinations for the elderly and vulnerable.
On November 28, he tweeted that he was not vaccinated but that it was “fine for vulnerable people” to have a shot.
Five days later, he tested positive and was admitted to hospital, dying exactly month to the day after he sent his tweet.
His death is a reminder of the importance not to take the virus lightly, but cannot be seen to mean lockdowns are the answer to beating a raging virus.
Sensible decisions are expected to depend on the facts of each country at every given time