The new summer wave of coronavirus is slowly washing over the Netherlands and has left a total of 550 patients sick in Dutch hospitals. Of those patients, 22 are currently in intensive care.
Currently, we’re reliving the same numbers that we experienced back at the end of May when it comes to hospital occupancy.
The hospitals are getting increasingly busier by the week — and right now, there are about 50% more patients with coronavirus than last week, the NOS says.
However, this increase is not yet high enough to bring a strong change in the ICU as the number of coronavirus-related cases there has fluctuated between 20 and 30 patients since the beginning of June.
A summer wave was predicted
The RIVM had already predicted that another wave of coronavirus would break out as a result of the approaching summer bustle, as folks spend more time in crowded terraces, bars, and restaurants.
However, they haven’t dared to estimate the number of cases to expect over the holidays.
But the biggest reason why the virus is re-emerging is due to two new sub-variants of the infamous Omicron.
The Netherlands woke up to a beautiful blue sky this morning. Locally, there was some fog, but it quickly lifted and made way for sunshine. ☀️
The sun will be higher than usual as a result of the summer solstice, officially marking the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
It’s also shining extra strong today, so make sure to whip that SPF out as you soak in the 20-25 degrees expected this afternoon. 😎
Goedemorgen! Vanochtend om 11:14 begint officieel de astronomische zomer, het weer gaat daar helemaal in mee. Na het al snel verdwijnen van de lokaal aanwezige (dichte) mistbanken is het zonnig en warm. Alleen in Limburg is vanmiddag een bui mogelijk. https://t.co/zj9Y4wC9kQpic.twitter.com/ud9dLpWVdI
“Good morning! This morning at 11:14 AM the astronomical summer officially starts, the weather is completely in line with that. After the local (dense) fog banks quickly disappear, it is sunny and warm. Only in Limburg is a shower possible this afternoon.”
Local forecasts
In the Amsterdam and Utrecht region, temperatures will rise up to 23 degrees this afternoon, writes NU.nl.
In Brabant, Limburg, and the Achterhoek it can heat up to a full 25 degrees, while the Wadden Islands and the north coast will experience around 20-degree weather.
How are you spending this sunny summer solstice? Tell us in the comments below!
The Dutch crown princess made her first official travel abroad this weekend when she attended the Norwegian Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s 18th birthday party. Sounds like a blast!
Not only that — it was also the future Queen’s debut of wearing a tiara in public (in royal talk, that’s a really big deal). 👸🏽
First official travel abroad
Her first official appearance already took place shortly after she turned 18 in December, but there’s just something special about those party trips abroad, isn’t it?
The princess got to practice her royal walk down a red carpet, perfect her royal pose in pictures with other heirs to European thrones, and enjoy the feeling of old money on her head 👑 for quite some time this weekend. 💃🏽
#NEW A portrait of the new generation of future European monarchs 👑
Princess Catharina-Amalia of The Netherlands, Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, Princess Estelle of Sweden, Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway and Prince Charles of Luxembourg! pic.twitter.com/L9ZxiemRVr
Due to annoying circumstances (cough-Covid-cough) many young royals have yet to get to know each other, and what better way to meet people than at a white tie gala dinner in the Norwegian public library?
The birthday party of Ingrid Alexandra offered heaps of opportunities for the blue-blooded to socialise, as royals from all over Europe attended the festivities.
Royals from Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Belgium gathered at the celebration of Norway's Princess Ingrid Alexandra's 18th birthday.#Norway#RoyalsFamilypic.twitter.com/DsOxBiBQso
— Charles Ellingsen (@JustaCharlieeth) June 18, 2022
That included the Dutch King and Queen, so Amalia didn’t have to travel alone on her first ever work trip. 💙 (Hoera for 18th parties with your parents!)
The party offered quite a few unusual twists. For example, the main venue was a public one — Deichmanske Library in the city centre of Oslo.
About last night!😍
Queen Máxima is wearing a smaller setting of the Stuart Tiara and Princess Amalia is wearing the Dutch Star Tiara👸🏼 pic.twitter.com/1RiEQwDn23
— The Dutch Royal Family (@dutchroyals_) June 18, 2022
In addition, many youngsters were invited to celebrate the princess, instead of just boring old dinosaurs. It almost looked like a regular 18-year-old’s birthday! (Well, not really, but we’re getting there.)
Queen Maxima’s wedding tiara
Amalia’s main accessory of the evening was borrowed from her mother, Queen Maxima, who wore the tiara on her very own wedding day.
It’s custom that Dutch and Norwegian princesses don’t wear tiaras until they turn 18, which meant that both Princess Amalia and Princess Ingrid Alexandra got to debut with their tiaras on the same occasion — how cute!
Like mother, like daughter 👑
Princess Catharina-Amalia, The Princess of Orange, wore The Dutch Star Tiara for her first tiara appearance. The piece was worn by her mother Queen Máxima on her wedding day to King Willem-Alexander in 2002 pic.twitter.com/LEfcOMdoXB
Oh, to have a cuddly companion by your side as you open your laptop from your makeshift home office. 🥺
While it’s a comforting thought, it’s also one that has now caused a huge increase in the number of pets that are up for adoption in the Netherlands.
“Pet owners have to go back to the office. The dogs and cats that have been purchased are lonely at home,” Femke Pasquino-de Harde, founder of Verhuisdieren.nl, tells RTL Nieuws.
As the owner of a website that helps relocate pets to new homes, Femke Pasquino-de Harde has seen a drastic increase in the number of pets that are up for adoption post-pandemic.
Before the first lockdown in the Netherlands, there were an average of 1400 animals on her website, and people flocked to adopt them as coronavirus restrictions set in.
Now, 2200 pets are looking for new homes, and remarkably few people are interested in giving them one.
“Half of these animals are less than two years old and therefore purchased during corona time,” says Pasquino-de Harde.
All of those cute faces looking for new homes. Image: Verhuisdieren.nl/screenshot
Unsocialised, unwanted
It is especially clear that the dogs put up for adoption are so-called corona puppies. Many of them have behavioural problems because they’ve lived their lives in isolation without ever being properly socialised.
Ultimately, people bought them because they were lonely during a lockdown, but as life returns to more or less normal, it’s increasingly clear that the now-grown puppies are lonely.
Dogs are not the only animals that have suffered from peoples’ selfishness. Cats and rabbits also had high adoption rates during the pandemic and are now returned to shelters and adoption centres.
Would you give a “corona puppy” a new home? Tell us in the comments below!
A recent study by the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) exposes links between Schiphol’s air traffic emissionsand neighbouring residents’ health problems.
Those living in Schiphol’s neighbouring municipalities are faced with many health risks, particularly for pregnant women, as a result of prolonged exposure to ultrafine particles.
Ultrafine particles
The research found that air traffic widely contributes to the presence of ultrafine matter near the airport, explains Schiphol.nl.
At 200 metres from the runway, about 50% of measured concentrations of ultrafine particulate are influenced by Schiphol’s air traffic, to around 25% at five kilometres from the runway.
Health risks
While the volume of these ultrafine particles depends on the direction of the wind, increased concentrations of them can lead to both short- and long-term health issues.
Researchers found the microscopic particles being emitted from aircraft mostly affect pregnant women and the development of their unborn children, reports De Telegraaf.
The study also found that there is a high-probability link between deaths by cardiac arrhythmias and high concentrations of ultrafine particles.
Schiphol’s next steps
With recent chaos and mismanagement at Schiphol, there’s no telling if the Dutch airport will be able to deal with even more issues knocking at its door.
The airport’s website admits that the effects of ultrafine particles can be harmful and have started up an “Ultrafine Particles Action Plan” which aims to lower its emissions.
Following a tense race, the Netherlands’ Formula 1 pride and joy, Max Verstappen, came first place in the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend. 🥇
Verstappen took home his sixth win of the season, placing him 46 points ahead in the 2022 Formula 1 standing, says RTL Nieuws.
The Red Bull driver started in pole position (at the front of the starting grid), giving him a nice start advantage. Of course, this race wasn’t without bumps in the road. 🏎
Verstappen ran into a few tire problems and Carlos Sainz driving for Ferrari took advantage of this to change his own tires. When Sainz returned on track, Verstappen had a difficult time keeping him behind, making the last 15 rounds quite exciting. 😱
Verstappen, Sainz, and Lewis Hamilton (seven-time Formula 1 world champion) came in first, second, and third place respectively.
Beyond this, international baby names continue to climb the ranks — with Italian and Scandinavian names picking up some steam!
Italian names
Italian names are becoming all the rage this year in the Netherlands. So there’s a good chance you’ll meet more Sofias and Matteos in the future.
Whether you have Italian roots or simply love the sound of romantic and beautiful baby names, like Aurora and Tommaso, they’re good options if you want to keep up with the trends.
Scandinavian influences
This year, the Dutch have also taken a look at their northern neighbours when deciding on baby names.
Scandinavian baby names tend to have a short and rugged sound to them. For boys, the names Sverre and Vigo are swiftly becoming more fashionable amongst Dutchies.
And for the girls, Liv and Elin will be seen more often throughout your typical Nederlandse families. (Looks like we’ll be getting plenty of little Vikings this year!)
Meaningful baby names
International names aside, another trend is gaining swift popularity amongst parents in the Netherlands.
It’s the idea that the meaning behind your name can have some influence on who you will become as a person. Like Nora which means ‘light’, or Liam, which means ‘strong-willed warrior’.
Many Dutch parents-to-be seem to be aware of this, which is probably why baby names with a little bit of a deeper meaning attached to them are becoming more popular.
Girl baby names in the Netherlands
Are these the baby feet of a little Mila? Or maybe of a Zoe? Image: Depositphotos
In the 2022 list of top baby girl names in the Netherlands, Julia and Tess are moving up the ladder, but Mila continues to be number one.
Short (and sweet) girl names with four letters and one syllable, such as Saar (Sara), Juul (Julia), and Noor (Nora), are experiencing a swing in popularity this year too.
Meanwhile, what do the biblical names like Sara, Eva, and Anna have in common? They all end with an ‘a’! It’s no secret that these names have been popular for quite some time — and they’re expected to keep their high-ranking status in 2022.
What’s more, Arabic names ending with an ‘a’, like Yara and Nora, are also catching the eye of more and more Dutch parents.
Top 10 girl baby names in the Netherlands for 2022
Yes, yes, we’ll give you the full ranking! Without further ado, here are the predicted top ten baby names for Dutch girls in 2022:
This year, parents are seemingly looking to give their boys a name with a little extra toughness, like Jake, Max, and Mason — since everyone loves a bad boy (or so they say).
The Jacks, James, Jakes, and Jaydens of the world are expected to make leaps too as boy names starting with the letter ‘j’ become more trendy.
Also, old Dutch or Frisian boys’ names are popping up more, with names like Jurre, Jesse, and Jelte climbing the ranks.
And, at last, traditional Dutch boys’ names, like Noah, Sem, and Liam will retain their popularity.
Top 10 boy baby names in the Netherlands for 2022
But what are the top 10 baby boy names in the Netherlands? Well, we won’t keep you waiting any longer.
Sem
Liam
Noah
Finn
Lucas
James
Milan
Noud
Daan
Mees
We don’t know about you, but all of these want to make us say ‘schattig‘ (cute)!
Did you spot your name somewhere in there? Let us know in the comments if you did, or even if you didn’t!
In a press conference, the directors of Schiphol namely said that a maximum of 67,500 travellers are allowed to depart in July. In August, this number will climb up to 72,500 travellers. 🙃
The measures are still caused by staff shortages at the security lines, reports the NOS.
Responsibility falls on airlines and travel providers
The capacity cuts will affect an average of 13,500 departing passengers every single day in July. This means that not just dozens but several hundreds of flights could be cancelled on the busiest vacation days.
To mitigate the chaos, Schiphol is encouraging travellers to look for outbound flights from regional airports. ✈️
Meanwhile, airlines and travel providers are responsible for moving or permanently cancelling the scrapped routes and rebooking passengers. Fun.
Resultingly, Corendon is moving 150 flights from Schiphol to Rotterdam airport, while Transavia is limiting its sales. Both Transavia and KLM, however, hold Schiphol responsible for the summer’s inevitable financial losses.
Safety first
At the press conference, the directors highlighted that the measures, first of all, revolved around safety. CEO Dick Benschop said that “the demand we expect this summer is higher than the capacity that we could achieve with all the measures taken earlier.”
“It is not responsible to go into the summer at random. We do not want to take any risks. We are responsible for the safety of our passengers and employees,” he continued.
How are you coping with the chaos at Schiphol? Tell us in the comments below!
From next year, it will become cheaper to park your electric car, and parking permits might become cheaper too, reports RTL Nieuws.
State Secretary of Infrastructure and Water Management, Vivianne Heijnen, recently announced this happy news — which might concern over 300,000 Dutch car owners! 🚗
What’s the deal?
From 2023, municipalities across the country will be given the opportunity to lower parking rates for all cars that don’t exhaust damaging gasses, after an amendment to the Dutch Municipalities Act.
That means, if you have a lovely clean, green, sustainable car, your life might be about to get just a little bit better. It is not yet clear whether the discount will apply to hybrid cars since they’re in a bit of a grey area, emission-wise. 💨
The driving force behind the change is the Dutch government’s aim to reduce both air- and noise pollution significantly across the country in the coming years. However, since each municipality will have the freedom to set its own parking rates, the result of the new amendment might look quite different from city to city.
Does it matter?
With over 300,000 electric cars on Dutch roads, the parking discount will be good news for many. But the development is also to benefit those without an electric car (or without a car at all — hello fellow bikers!).
First of all, the Dutch government aims to have all cars be CO2-free by the year 2050. So, you might be smart in considering going electric if you want to invest in a new vehicle anytime soon — for the sake of saving those extra cents or just to make sure you can keep using your car after 2050.
Secondly, the amendment will benefit anyone who likes to breathe clean air and hear the birds sing, when commuting to school and work. 🌱
Making it easier to have an electric vehicle is another piece in the Dutch puzzle of securing a greener future, and small societal changes like these are a great sign of Dutch progress and innovation in the area of sustainability.
What do you think of the amendment to the municipalities law? Will it make a difference? Tell us in the comments!
Dutch Health Minister Ernst Kuipers can’t rule out the possibility of another coronavirus-induced lockdown.
We thought, hoped, and pleaded we’d never hear it again, but here it comes: coronavirus cases are yet again on the rise in the Netherlands. Just last week, infection rates went up by a staggering 64%.
Kuipers is concerned about the sudden rise in coronavirus infections, reports RTL Nieuws. The Dutch Health Minister presented his long-term approach to coronavirus in a parliamentary debate this week and said that another lockdown can’t be ruled out.
New variants bring uncertainty
Especially if there were a new variant of the virus that is more infectious or does not respond to the vaccinations, a lockdown might be necessary, says Kuipers.
The last vaccination roll-out during the beginning of this year was “disappointing,” according to the Health Minister. Vulnerable persons and people aged above 60 were meant to receive their second booster, but many decided against the fourth shot.
No concern regarding ICU capacity yet
A concern that Kuipers doesn’t share is fears that there won’t be enough beds available in the intensive care in case of rising coronavirus infections.
In total, there are 993 beds available. At the time of the parliamentary debate, 686 were currently occupied and only 24 ICU patients had been admitted for coronavirus-related symptoms.
No telling when new measures are needed
Kuipers says that he can’t yet say when and if measures such as the mandatory wearing of facemasks or the return of the 1.5-metre rule will make a return.
Previous lockdowns were primarily driven by the objective to keep pressure off the healthcare system, but the situation is different now, according to Kuipers.
We’re crossing all ten fingers that this summer will stay lockdown-free!
Do you think another lockdown in the Netherlands is possible? Tell us in the comments below!
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