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Children under 13 shouldn’t home quarantine, the OMT suggests

Christine Stein Hededam 🇩🇰
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Children under 13 shouldn’t home quarantine, the OMT suggests

Currently, entire primary school classes are sitting behind their desks, not at school, but at home. In the run-up to the press conference tonight, however, the OMT advises relaxing the quarantine policy.

According to the Outbreak Management Team (OMT), children under the age of 13 shouldn’t have to quarantine — even if they’ve been in close contact with a person infected with the coronavirus.

If the Dutch government decides to follow this advice, primary schools in the Netherlands could remain open as usual, reports RTL Nieuws.

Calls for relaxed measures

Just as in other sectors, education is calling upon the government to relax current coronavirus measures.

READ MORE | Dutch mayors call for a ‘fundamental review’ of coronavirus policy

At the moment, quarantine policies for children mean that if three students test positive, an entire school class has to go home. According to the General Association of School Leaders (AVS), almost a quarter of students are at home because of these measures.

The hope is that children can return to the school bench after the press conference tonight. But how would this look exactly?

If the government adheres to the OMT advice, Rutte and Kuipers will announce that children up to the age of 12 can go to school as long as they don’t have coronavirus complaints themselves.

What do you think of this OMT advice? Should primary schools return to normal? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: choreograph/Depositphotos

BREAKING: Dutch cabinet agrees on relaxing measures for horeca and cultural sector

Katrien Nivera 🇵🇭
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BREAKING: Dutch cabinet agrees on relaxing measures for horeca and cultural sector

After meetings with the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) and the Outbreak Management Team (OMT), the Dutch cabinet agrees to relax coronavirus restrictions for catering (horeca) and the cultural sector after several weeks of closure.

The OMT suggested allowing the sectors to open until 8 PM, but the relaxation must be done under strict conditions, reports the NOS.

A sigh of relief

This change comes as a big relief. The cultural sector had plans to sue the Dutch government and opened its doors to protest the unequal treatment of sectors.

A restaurant in Amsterdam even built a trial “testing street” to reopen to customers, regardless of the government’s plans to open. The relaxation of measures was, therefore, much needed for these sectors.

Waiting for the green light

The rate of daily infections is increasing but the Omicron variant is considered milder than other variants of the coronavirus. 🤒 Relaxation is possible under certain conditions, but the cabinet is ready to intervene if the situation changes. 🙅🏻

The final decision for these measures will be announced tomorrow during a press conference with Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Health Minister Ernst Kuipers.

The catering and cultural sector may be able to stay open until 10 PM under certain conditions, despite the OMT’s recommendation. These conditions have not been announced yet.

What do you think of the reopening of horeca and the cultural sector? Tell us your thoughts in the comments. 💭

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The end of COVID-19 in Europe? Yes, says the WHO

Farah Al Mazouni 🇸🇾 🇺🇸
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The end of COVID-19 in Europe? Yes, says the WHO

Optimistic signals are heading the Netherlands’ way as the WHO reviews the state of the coronavirus in Europe — perfect timing since the Municipal Health Service (GGD) warns against future pandemics.

With the Omicron variant spreading throughout Europe, including the Netherlands, the World Health Organisation (WHO) predicts “periods of widespread immunity for many weeks and months,” says the agency’s director Hans Kluge.

By March 2022, 60% of Europeans will have been infected with the omicron variant, which when combined with the vaccination rates will create a prolonged immunity, reports the NOS.

According to the WHO’s overview, this mass immunity will lead the coronavirus to enter a manageable state or “endemic”, turning it more or less into the flu. Give us more of this optimism, please! 🎉

The Netherlands isn’t prepared for another health crisis

The GGD is also sending the Netherlands signals, not the good kind though. The Netherlands cannot afford a new health crisis, says the NOS.

The WHO predictions couldn’t have come in at a better time for the Netherlands since the GGD, the organisation responsible for testing and vaccinating individuals in the current pandemic is reported to “have been financially depressed in recent years. stripped,” states former WHO director Henk Bekedam.

Additionally, André Rouvoet, chairman of the GGD GHOR (the GGD’s umbrella organisation), expressed concerns when it comes to the shortage of infectious diseases, doctors, and the annual budget allocated for this purpose.

More preparedness = less problems

The Dutch cabinet assigns an annual €300 million for pandemic preparedness, a sum that isn’t sitting well with Rouvoet.

Initiating an urgent appeal to the Dutch parliament to adjust the budget to include €600 million instead, the director is “afraid that a lot of that money will go to establishing a crisis organisation and little will be left for public health.”

Meanwhile, Bekedam sees other points of shortage, such as having 25 separate GGD regions with separate directors and policies, and the Netherlands’ need to have better health surveillance.

What do you think of the WHO’s optimistic coronavirus outlook? Do you agree that the Netherlands should be preparing up (and better) for a future pandemic? Tell us in the comments!

Featured Image: PhotographerFromAmsterdam/Depositphotos

Dutch woman arrested for performing Nazi salute at Auschwitz

Cara Räker 🇩🇪
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Dutch woman arrested for performing Nazi salute at Auschwitz

So here’s a story for you ⁠— a 29-year old Dutch woman was arrested by Polish authorities for performing the Hitler salute at the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Why on earth would she do that? According to police officials, it was meant as a (horrifically bad) joke, reports RTL Nieuws.

“Arbeit macht frei”

The woman was picked up by security guards whilst posing the Nazi salute for a picture in front of the infamous main gate that reads “Arbeit Macht Frei” (Work sets you free).

When accused of spreading Nazi propaganda, the 29-year old confessed. The police state that she has received a fine for her wrongdoing.

A symbol of the Holocaust

Auschwitz-Birkenau is the largest Nazi concentration camp and has become a symbol of the Holocaust. Over 1.1 million people were terminated on its grounds — one million of which were Jews. Anne Frank and her sister also spend some time in Auschwitz before they were transported to Bergen-Belsen, where they eventually died.

Today, the remnants of the concentration camp have been transformed into a memorial site and are open to the public.

The Dutch woman saluting to the Nazis who helped commit the largest organised mass killing on European soil in modern history is not a “bad joke.” It’s a concrete example of continuing anti-semitism and a demonstration of blatant ignorance towards those who lost their lives behind the gates of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

What are your thoughts on the woman performing the Nazi salute at Auschwitz? Tell us in the comments.

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Stowaway found in a cargo plane landing at Schiphol Airport

Katrien Nivera 🇵🇭
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Stowaway found in a cargo plane landing at Schiphol Airport

The Royal Dutch Military Police found a man in the nose wheel of a cargo plane arriving at Schiphol Airport from South Africa last Sunday. 😱

Authorities did not reveal the man’s identity to the public yet, reports the NOS.

Against all odds

The man survived for approximately 11 hours on the flight, with one stop in Nairobi, Kenya. 🛩 It is rare for stowaways to survive long flights, particularly due to low oxygen levels at high altitudes and the cold.

Upon discovery, the man’s body temperature was immediately raised, and by the time the ambulance arrived, he was answering basic questions.

Richard Schuurman, a freelance aviation journalist, said it was a miracle that the man survived the flight.

He went to the hospital for further check-ups but was “doing well” by the time the ambulance left. 🚑

Once the man recovers and is cleared from the hospital, the Asylum Seekers Centre will process and determine his status as a potential asylum seeker.

What do you think of this stowaway story? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Feature Image: Tasfoto/Depositphotos

BREAKING: OMT advises re-opening Dutch society until 8 PM

Nicole Ogden 🇹🇭 🇺🇸
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BREAKING: OMT advises re-opening Dutch society until 8 PM

The Outbreak Management Team (OMT) has advised the Dutch cabinet to open society up again until 8 PM.

Yep, you read that right. The Netherlands may be coming out of its “hard lockdown” and everything from restaurants, cinemas, and museums may open up and receive visitors again, reports NRC.

This re-opening comes in light of the cultural sector opening its doors in protest against the cabinet’s lockdown restrictions.

The cabinet plans to follow the OMT’s advice, however, they are still unsure about the latest closing time being 8 PM.

There might also be exceptions to the closing time for theatres and for the public at sporting events, which may have a closing time of 10 PM.

“Strict conditions”

The OMT has also stated that the re-opening of Dutch society must occur under “firm conditions.”

This means that certain coronavirus measures which were already enforced will continue to be upheld, such as using a corona pass for entry, mandatory seating in restaurants, and restrictions on the number of visitors.

More details about re-opening Dutch society will be announced during the press conference on Tuesday, January 25, at 7 PM — which DutchReview will also cover.

Follow DutchReview on Facebook for the latest coronavirus news and updates.

Feature Image: harrybeugelink@gmail.com/Depositphotos

Dutch cabinet supplies two fighter jets to back Ukraine, willing to do more

Cara Räker 🇩🇪
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Dutch cabinet supplies two fighter jets to back Ukraine, willing to do more

Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Wopke Hoekstra says the Netherlands would welcome a request by Ukraine for more weapons in defence against Russian troops. 👀

Already, the Netherlands is sending two F-35 fighter jets to Bulgaria, reports the NOS.

NATO is increasing its military presence in member countries Bulgaria and Romania, as a warning sign to the estimated 100,000 military troops that Putin has stationed close to the Ukrainian border

The Dutch are also helping out in building a cyberteam in response to a recent cyberattack against two of Ukraine’s official government websites. Instead of the homepage, the warning “Be scared and expect the worst”, appeared on the screen, reports the NOS.

The Dutch ready to support Ukraine

The overall consensus in the Dutch cabinet is supportive of building up the military defence in and around Ukraine. This coming Monday, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra will participate in a conference on this matter with fellow European leaders.

The aim is to make a possible invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops as difficult and risky as possible, says D66-member Sjoerdsa.

The plan is to decide on more sanctions towards Russia, ban Moscow from the international banking system Swift, and possibly exit the controversial Nordstream 2 project — a gas pipeline that transports gas from Russia to Europe.

Hoekstra is aware that these are not easy steps to take for the Netherlands. “Forty percent of Europe’s gas comes from Russia, you can’t just replace that,” he says.

What’s going on between Russia and Ukraine?

So, why is the Dutch government expressing support for Ukrainian militarisation, and even supplying fighter jets and logistical help? This question has many layers, but it boils down to the concerns by US and European leaders that Russia might plan on invading its neighbour Ukraine.

Since the beginning of 2021, Moscow has deployed over 100,000 military troops at the Ukrainian border but says the soldiers have been moved for practising military drills.

Experts are sceptical, let alone because Russia has invaded Ukraine before in the conflict now known as the Crimea crisis, which took over 14,000 lives in 2014. Back then, Russian troops annexed the Ukrainian peninsula Crimea and also took over large parts of Eastern Ukraine, reports CNN.

The general consensus is that this display of military power is Putin’s way of warning against a further expansion of NATO. Moscow has demanded for years that countries such as Georgia, Finland, and Sweden will abstain from joining NATO/the Western military alliance.

Ukraine is a special case because it shares borders with both Russia and the European Union, and has a large, Russian speaking population.

The demand by Putin to stop a further NATO expansion is not completely unfounded, finds SP-member Van Dijk: “The NATO has been expanding towards the East, that is a fact.”

What do you think about more involvement of the Netherlands in the Russia-Ukraine conflict? Tell us in the comments!

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YouTube show reveals even more cases of sexual assault at Voice of Holland

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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YouTube show reveals even more cases of sexual assault at Voice of Holland

This past week, the Netherlands has been shaken by a developing sexual assault scandal surrounding the popular television show, The Voice of Holland. Last night, the series BOOS, released its episode investigating the matter.

And things are even worse than initially thought.

Dozens of women

In the show, BOOS (a show that usually investigates dodgy landlords, scammers, and bad tattoo artists), it was revealed that dozens of women had been assaulted by employees on the show.

The allegations include unwanted texts, groping, touching, and rape, the NOS reports.

Another offender

Last weekend, the news broke that three men in positions of power on The Voice of Holland — rapper and judge, Ali B, vocal coach Marco Borsato, and bandleader Jeroen Rietbergen — were all accused of sexual misconduct towards participants on the show.

Now, another man has been accused. It is known that he is a director of the show, however, for now, his name has not been released. No less than 15 reports have been made against the man who is said to have made inappropriate comments and was “pawing” at female contestants.

Insight into the assaults

The show also revealed more information about the assaults made. Ali B currently has two charges set against him — one for rape.

Ex-candidates spoke of the way he would treat them, saying that he would suddenly kiss the contestants when in his home or in dressing rooms and in one case, he arrived unannounced at the home of a candidate.

One woman spoke of how he suddenly kissed her and when she stiffened from the assault, he raped her.

Minors involved

More information surrounding the allegations against Marco Borsato has also come out. Six women from The Voice of Holland came forward to say that the ex-coach touched them inappropriately, three of these women would have been minors at the time.

And that’s not all. Borsato is also accused of touching three participants from The Voice Kids. The parents of the children confirmed to BOOS that this happened during a barbeque that he organised for the participants.

More women come forward about Rietbergen

BOOS also had a whopping 19 women come forward to make allegations against the bandleader of the show, Jeroen Rietbergen. Last week, it was revealed that he had previous allegations made against him in 2019 — however, RTL claims that they had no knowledge of this.

The women spoke on the show about his transgressive behaviour, detailing how he would send them unwanted messages, sometimes including pictures of his penis. In these messages, he would also suggest that the candidates should wear sexy clothes and that he should share a hotel room with the candidates.

Rietbergen is also accused of assaulting one candidate in his studio. He has since admitted that he displayed sexually transgressive behaviour but denies ever assaulting someone.

Media company takes out full page ad in the paper

Employees of the media company, Talpa, have responded to one particular interview in the show. When talking about the assaults, the creator of the show, John de Mol said “It is a broader problem that women do not report such matters quickly than only to the Voice.”

This did not go down well with many, and the women of the media company decided to take out a full-page advert in the AD, which read:

“Dear John, it’s not the women — greetings, the women from your company.” 💪

Follow DutchReview on Facebook for the latest news and updates.

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Spotlight on! The Hague shines in magical light festival

Christine Stein Hededam 🇩🇰
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Spotlight on! The Hague shines in magical light festival

While the Christmas lights are slowly being taken down, the dark persists — leaving some rather gloomy Dutch winter days ahead. But not for long!

Once again, The Hague city centre will light up in wonderful works of illuminating art. ✨

Originally, the mini light festival was scheduled for December 2021 but had to be postponed due to the tightened corona measures.

However, as lockdown measures ease, The Hague HighLights has announced the opening of the event: Every day between February 23 and 27 you can admire the light installations from 5:30 until 10:00 PM.

What is The Hague HighLights?

The Hague HighLights is a yearly (free!) event where famous or historical buildings are lit up in magical light installations.

This year, four artworks can be found in the city’s centre at the Hofvijver, Kneuterdijk, the Prison Gate, and Lange Voorhout. You can walk the route in approximately 45 minutes.

Each artwork aims to not just illuminate the building but the history behind it. So, when you spot flowers floating in front of Mauritshuis and thin lustrous lines surrounding the Kneuterdijk Palace, try to find out why. 🧐

Not only will The Hague Highlights mesmerize and cheer you up in the dark winter season, but they’ll satisfy a history craving you didn’t know you had!

Will you be visiting The Hague HighLights? Tell us in the comments below!

Image: jaalbers/Depositphotos

Amsterdam restaurant builds its own testing street: “It’s a cry for help”

Cara Räker 🇩🇪
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Amsterdam restaurant builds its own testing street: “It’s a cry for help”

Whatever the decision following the press conference next week, Amsterdam restaurant The Livingroom is determined to open its doors — they’ve even built their own testing facilities.

The idea is simple. Come in a little earlier, get a coronavirus test done right on-site, wait 15 minutes until the results are in, and then proceed to have a wonderful night out. 😍

At least, this is what The Livingroom — located on Ijburg — has in mind, AT5 reports. The restaurant has even trained its staff to carry out the tests professionally.

How innovative! But also a sign that restaurants, cafés and bars are struggling to stay afloat.

Coping with another lockdown

“We’re watching sorrowfully how our business is slowly going down the drain,” says co-owner Amir Rouzbeh. “It’s a cry for help.” Building their very own testing facilities in the restaurant’s greenhouse is, therefore, a final attempt at saving their livelihood.

The Livingroom is not alone in its attempt to protest restrictions. Just this week, several musea have re-purposed themselves as hairdressers or gyms to mock the thin line between essential and non-essential shops.

Others have simply opened their doors, sent letters to the Dutch government or threatened to go to court. On 25 January, the Dutch government will announce whether or not the current lockdown will be lifted or extended in the upcoming weeks.

Would you do a test before going to a restaurant? Tell us in the comments!

Feature Image: vverve/Depositphotos

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