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Netherlands records highest number of daily coronavirus infections ever

Cara Räker 🇩🇪
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Netherlands records highest number of daily coronavirus infections ever

The RIVM (Dutch National Institute of Health and the Environment) has recorded 34,954 new coronavirus infections today. That’s 10,282 compared to the day before — and the highest daily figure ever.

However, RTL Nieuws reports a system failure of the RIVM yesterday, and as a result the increase of infections might be lower than stated.

Despite lockdown, cases are on the rise

According to the NOS, the average number of daily cases has still increased by a whopping 63% over the past week. The daily average is now at 21,487 positive coronavirus tests. 😳

This jump in infections is despite the ongoing lockdown enforced by the Dutch government. Luckily, the healthcare system is staying afloat with the number of hospital and ICU admissions further decreasing.

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

Feature Image: Voluroi/Depositphotos

After two years of the pandemic, Dutch inflation rates reach 6,4%

Cara Räker 🇩🇪
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After two years of the pandemic, Dutch inflation rates reach 6,4%

The Netherlands is currently a month into its third hard lockdown and slowly the economy catches on. 📈

Already in October, inflation rates reached a historic 20-year record in the Netherlands with prices going up 3,4% in 2021 compared to the year before. This was the highest recorded inflation rate since 2002.

In November 2021, inflation rates went up even further and reached 5,2% — a 40-year high.

And, you guessed it, December was no different. The NOS reports, that life in the Netherlands was 6,4% more expansive than last year.

High energy prices

The main reason for rising inflation rates is thought to be high energy prices, such as gas and electricity. Other possible factors are interrupted supply chains, lockdown measures, and reduction of workers due to the coronavirus.

However, Peter Hein van Mulligen, chief economist of the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (Central Bureau for Statistics), tells the NOS: “We do expect that this [the inflation] will decrease again, especially for the energy prices. Even though, there are many uncertainties, such as the geopolitical situation in Ukraine or omicron.”

This did not affect the Netherlands alone. Inflation rates throughout the eurozone have been on the rise and are now at their highest since 1997 with 5%.

Have you been impacted by these high inflation rates? Tell us in the comments!

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‘Pas op’ for poop! Your Albert Heijn cheese may have E.coli in it

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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‘Pas op’ for poop! Your Albert Heijn cheese may have E.coli in it

Bought some Albert Heijn cheese recently? Firstly, look at you go! You shop at Albert Heijn. Secondly, maybe don’t eat the cheese. ✋🧀

Why? Well, it turns out that it may contain traces of ‘poop bacteria’, otherwise known as E. coli. 💩

What cheese you got?

You only need to panic if you have a weakness for Albert Heijn’s Queso Iberico cheese, however. Allow us to pause while you run to your fridge and check.

If you realise — to your horror — that you do in fact have this cheese sitting in your fridge, then the next thing you need to do is check the best-before date. The magic numbers are January 5, 6, 7, 8 or 12. If you have any of these, then you need to drop that cheese.

READ MORE | The time Dutchies used cheese to defend themselves against the French

Specifically, you can drop it into your shopping bag and return it at the Albert Heijn where you will be refunded for your purchase.

Removed from shelves

Once E.coli was detected in the cheese, Albert Heijn was quick to remove the product from its shelves.

But for those who have already taken it home, there’s a concern that they may suffer the effects of ingesting the bacteria. Namely: nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

If you did in fact buy this cheese then we have a feeling that you may have already noticed something was up with your cheese before reading this. Beterschap!

Bought some Albert Heijn cheese recently? How are you feeling? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Takeaway/Wikimedia Commons/CC4.0

Groningen gas tap to extract nearly twice as much gas in spite of earthquakes

Christine Stein Hededam 🇩🇰
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Groningen gas tap to extract nearly twice as much gas in spite of earthquakes

The gas field in Groningen has been a source of debate and frustration in the Netherlands for years.

So, when the expected closure of the field was announced for mid-2022, environmentalists and Groningers took a collective sigh of relief.

READ MORE | Groningen shaken by one of its worst earthquakes to date

Nevertheless, the Groningen plant still has one last gas year (October 2021-September 2022) to run through — and turns out it won’t be a neat closing act.

Dutch government to extract almost twice as much gas

Despite the original plans to extract 3.9 billion cubic metres of gas this year, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has informed that they now expect 7.6 billion cubic metres to be extracted before September 2022, writes NU.nl. 🙃

The reason for this jump is two-fold:

Firstly, the opening of a nitrogen plant in Zuidbroek is delayed. The plant was supposed to supplement the supply of low-calorific gas for Dutch households but now the mining in Groningen must cover the shortage.

Secondly, the Netherlands is covering Germany’s bottom. Demand from Germany has risen sharply as the country has decreased their own extraction of gas — all the while energy-saving measures there have proved less efficient than expected.

According to NU.nl, the outgoing Minister of Economic Affairs, Stef Blok, has “expressed his great concerns” about the high demand from Germany.

What about the earthquakes?

In recent years, the severity and frequency of earthquakes in the region around the extraction plant have increased.

READ MORE | Groningen residents experience three earthquakes in one day

While the Ministry of Economic Affairs says “It was previously calculated by TNO that extracting 7.5 billion cubic meters of gas has little or no effect,” the engineering firm has been asked to perform a new seismic threat and risk analysis for Groningen.

Based on these new risk calculations, the Ministry of Economic Affairs will make the final decision about how much gas to extract in Groningen by April 1.

Opening is “incomprehensible”

However, the Groninger Soil Movement (GBB) which defends the interest of people affected by the gas extraction, says “The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate is playing with the safety of Groningers.”

The movement emphasises the dangerous and costly effects of gas extraction for residents and calls an increase in extraction “incomprehensible.”

“The increase in gas extraction means that the unsafe situation in Groningen will continue even longer, especially with a lagging reinforcement operation. In addition, it remains a guess when the gas tap will be turned off for good – people in Groningen live in uncertainty and are worried about their future,” the GBB writes in a statement.

What do you think of the potential increase in gas extraction? Tell us in the comments below!

Image: CreativeNature/Depositphotos

No ‘afspraak’? No problem! More walk-in booster shots to start next week

Cara Räker 🇩🇪
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No ‘afspraak’? No problem! More walk-in booster shots to start next week

Good news! Starting next week, you can get your third coronavirus vaccine at even more GGD (Public Health Service) locations without making an appointment first. 💉

The GGD will announce the exact locations in the upcoming days, RTL Nieuws reports. For now, this is already possible in the Dutch cities Leeuwarden, Drachten and Venray.

The supply of vaccinations has increased, meaning that now there is more space for people to just drop by spontaneously, and get their third jab.

Already made an appointment?

If you’ve already made an official appointment by registering through the GGD website, but you would like to take the no-fuss road and just show up — geen probleem!

Just tell the lovely man or woman that is about to register you on sight and they will automatically take the appointment out of the system for you.

How many Dutchies are vaccinated?

At the moment, about 7.4 million Dutchies have received two vaccinations and 4.5 million more have received a booster. That makes a total of 11.9 million Nederlanders that are (for now) considered ‘fully-vaxed’.

To increase vaccine roll-out, the Dutch government has promised everyone in the Netherlands the possibility to get that third jab by the end of January. As of this week, anyone who is 18 years or older can make an appointment to get bolstered.

What are your thoughts on the booster roll-out? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: DragonImages/Depositphotos

Most popular baby names in the Netherlands in 2021: did the predictions hold up?

Cara Räker 🇩🇪
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Most popular baby names in the Netherlands in 2021: did the predictions hold up?

Last year, our friends at 24baby shared their expectations for the trends in baby names in the Netherlands for 2021. Was your name on that list? Or perhaps your future baby’s name?

Well, now that we’re a week into the new year, let’s use the benefit of hindsight and check which names actually came out at the top of 2021.

According to the NOS, 177,473 babies were delivered in the Netherlands up to and including November 2021. So, what were they called?

Out of 86,530 girls born in the Netherlands in 2021, 753 were called Julia. Coming in at a close second is Mila, with 696 newborn girls receiving the name this year — How schattig! 😍 Here are the remaining top eight:

  • Emma
  • Nora
  • Olivia
  • Sophie
  • Tess
  • Milou
  • Zoë
  • Yara

Now, turning our attention to the gentlemen: Out of 90,948 baby boys born this year, 945 little Noah’s have received the most popular Dutch baby name of 2021!

Second place goes to Lucas, used 734 times. And here are the remaining eight toppers:

  • Sem
  • Daan
  • Levi
  • Liam
  • James
  • Finn
  • Luca
  • Milan

Did they get it right?

Last year, 24baby made some predictions regarding the most popular baby names of 2021. Did they get some right?

Well, yes and no. One prediction, which definitely holds up, said the Dutch love their short (and sweet), one or two-syllable baby names: Em-ma, No-ra or Sem, Daan and Le-vi all follow this exact pattern.

Overall, 24baby got seven out of ten predicted girl names right, including Julia, Emma, Nora and Sophie. 🎉 For boys names, six were guessed correctly, including Sem, Lucas, Daan and Levi.

International influences

Another prediction was that Frisian names would become more popular in 2021. We don’t really see this trend reflected in this year’s favourites, but we have high hopes for 2022. Go, Jurre, Benthe and Doutzen!

Instead, it looks like the Dutch went with the international mainstream this year. Name expert Gerrit Bloothooft from Utrecht University tells the NOS: “For girls, Emma, Julia, and Sophie have been popular for over ten years. These are international names, just like Mila and the fast-rising Olivia.”

According to Bloothoft, it takes a good 25 years — an entire generation — for completely new baby names to show up on the list. What will the sons and daughters of today’s Noah’s and Julia’s be called? 🤔

Would you have picked a name from this list? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Jenmax/Depositphotos

Dutch retail suffers more than two billion euros in losses due to lockdown

Farah Al Mazouni 🇸🇾 🇺🇸
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Dutch retail suffers more than two billion euros in losses due to lockdown

The “click and collect” options for non-essential shops in the Netherlands are not sufficient to steer businesses away from this large sum — so the cabinet is urged to take quick action.

The Dutch industry organization INretail calculated estimated losses after almost three weeks of lockdown and the numbers are catastrophic (with nine zeros), to say the least.

More than two BILLION euros are being looked at as the estimate of losses to shops and the retail industry since the country was put on lockdown mode on December 19, reports AD. 🤯

“The eager public likes to spend the euros in the Dutch retail sector, but is now letting it roll over the border,” comments INretail regarding the latest flocks of Dutch shoppers hitting Belgian markets.

Multilayerd issue

These losses are apparently not limited to shoppers not spending their money in the Dutch market. The restrictions also left a social impact on the economy as people can’t work in retail anymore.

“The sector employs almost 350,000 people. The entrepreneurs who have all these people on the payroll are extremely concerned about the future,” explains INretail.

Proposals

Currently, MBK-Nederland, the Council of Dutch Retail (RND) alongside INretail are all taking a stand in favour of relaxing the “too strict” of measures after January 14.

“We are already dealing with a billion-dollar noose, just calculate what the damage will be if the lockdown lasts even longer than mid-January. Please open those stores again. If necessary with the introduction of a QR check on arrival,” urges INretail director Jan Meerman.

Meanwhile, RND director Eus Peters plans to meet with the new Dutch cabinet next week to discuss possible conditions and solutions for the shops reopening.

What do you think of the organizations’ arguments in light of the economical losses? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Weigerwaardenberg/Pixabay

Starting tomorrow: no more test obligation to travel to England

Katrien Nivera 🇵🇭
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Starting tomorrow: no more test obligation to travel to England

Frequent travellers to England, pay attention📢 — starting tomorrow, vaccinated people travelling to England will not be obligated to take a coronavirus test to enter the country.

This decision was announced by the British government earlier today.

Current measures

At the moment, everyone over the age of 12 must submit a negative coronavirus test on arrival in England within 48 hours of testing. It is also mandatory to do a PCR test within two days of arrival. Until a traveller receives a negative test outcome, they must isolate.

This changes tomorrow for vaccinated travellers, who will no longer have to test before entering England. They will also be able to do a rapid test instead of a PCR test within two days of arrival. ⏳

The rules for unvaccinated travellers remain the same — they still have to get tested before entering the country, must do PCR tests on the second and eighth day after they arrive, and remain in quarantine for 10 days

Ineffective against coronavirus

Prime Minister Boris Johnson initially said the pre-travel coronavirus test was there to discourage people from travelling to England. Travel companies are saying otherwise, according to the NOS. 👀

They find the measures to test for coronavirus ineffective, considering the rapid spread of the omicron variant across England. 🦠

What does this mean for the Netherlands?

With the omicron variant on the horizon and the likely continuation of a hard lockdown in the Netherlands, the announcement comes as a surprise. 😯

It seems a little counterproductive, especially for Dutchies. With increasing infections, should more easygoing travel be encouraged? 🤔

What do you think of the relaxation of travel measures to England? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Feature Image: Polina Tankilevitch/Pexels

Dutch man arrested for holding a torch in front of a minister’s house

Nicole Ogden 🇹🇭 🇺🇸
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Dutch man arrested for holding a torch in front of a minister’s house

A Dutch man was arrested in front of D66 leader Sigrid Kaag’s house for holding a torch and harassing the minister.

The man knocked on her door repeatedly and was shouting conspiracies. And because we’re in the age of smartphones and social media, he (of course) live-streamed the whole thing, reports the NOS. 🙄

The same individual was also arrested a month before at Health Minister Hugo de Jonge’s house. Extra security has been arranged since the end of December.

The Hague police are currently investigating the incident and a report has been filed.

And get this: the torch guy was discovered because people recognised him on his live stream and he was arrested almost immediately. 🤣

Other MPs are pissed

“Intimidating scum,” said D66 leader Rob Jetten, “How far should we let it go in the Netherlands.”

Another D66 member, Jan Paternotte, thinks that it’s “totally idiotic and enormously threatening. Whoever touches our ministers affects our democracy.”

Even the leader of the BoerBurgerBeweging (Farmer-Citizen Movement) wrote, “What sick minds to visit Sigrid Kaag and her family in this way.”

What do you think about the man holding a torch in front of Kaag’s house? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Feature Image: SnappieJustita/Twitter

Majority of Dutch helpline callers are concerned about the booster shot

Cara Räker 🇩🇪
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Majority of Dutch helpline callers are concerned about the booster shot

Three times the charm — the Netherlands is picking up speed on its booster campaign, but some Dutchies have trouble keeping up.

At least that’s according to the operators of a Dutch telephone helpline, which answers people’s questions about coronavirus vaccinations.

Founder Robin Peeters from the Erasmus University Medical Centre (MC) tells NU.nl, that between 65-75% of about 3,500 weekly phone calls are questions about the booster shot.

This is what people are asking

Peeters says there are two types of callers. The first category of people is not really sure why there a third jab is necessary in the first place, as just a few weeks prior it was thought that two is enough.

“We try to explain then that the omicron variant has thrown a spanner in the works,” Peeter tells NU.nl.

The second kind of callers is concerned about the side effects of vaccinations. Maybe they’ve had bad experiences after the first two jabs, or there are serious concerns about underlying health issues.

In this case, Peeters says: “These people want to know if the vaccine is safe. We try to reassure them. If there are concerns about possible allergic reactions, we try to refer them to their GP.”

Getting a booster shot in the Netherlands

Since yesterday, everyone who is registered in the Netherlands and 18 years or older can register for a booster shot through the official government website.

Children above 11 years old with underlying health conditions putting them at a higher risk are also eligible.

According to Dutch Health Minister de Jonge, the goal is to offer everyone the third jab by the end of January.

What do you think about the hesitation surrounding booster shots in the Netherlands? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: IgorVetushko/Depositphotos

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