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Dutch retailers revolt: this time with municipality backing

Christine Stein Hededam 🇩🇰
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Dutch retailers revolt: this time with municipality backing

After suffering more than €2 billion in losses and seeing patrons take their shopping across the border to Belgium and Germany, Dutch shops have had enough.

In a direct violation of the coronavirus lockdown measures, retailers are once again opening their doors for customers.

“It’s essential for us to open again now — or we’ll close forever,” one entrepreneur tells the NOS.

From playful demonstrations to civil disobidience

Some shops in the Netherlands have already made careful attempts at opening. Mostly these were “playful demonstrations” where they simply invited customers in for a cup of koffie and a chat.

READ MORE | Several Dutch shops open in protest against coronavirus measures

However, as the next press conference approaches — accompanied by increasing rumours that we’ll see very few relaxations, entrepreneurs are revolting.

To enforce or not to enforce

In Sittard, retailers attempted to open fully earlier this week but were promptly closed down by municipal enforcement officers (BOAs). The city’s shopkeepers say they receive very little support from the municipality.

Other municipalities are more understanding, however. In Didam, 20 non-essential shops and catering establishments are planning to open this Saturday — as the municipality has informed that no BOAs will stroll along the shopping streets. 👀

READ MORE | Dutch municipalities sign letter asking cabinet to reopen non-essential shops

The retailers association Gastvrij Didam doesn’t want shops to throw all regulations out the window, however. While they hope to see similar openings across the country, they urge entrepreneurs to enforce the basic coronavirus measures.

And indeed Didam isn’t the only city where shopkeepers enjoy the support of their municipality. Also in Aalten, Montferland, and Oude IJsselstreek will shop-invite customers back in — without BOAs crashing the opening. 💃

What do you think of shops opening despite the ongoing lockdown? Tell us in the comments below!

Image: mangostock/Depositphotos

Lucky for stoners — cannabis may prevent coronavirus infections

Katrien Nivera 🇵🇭
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Lucky for stoners — cannabis may prevent coronavirus infections

According to a study done at Oregon State university, there are components in cannabis that may prevent the coronavirus from entering healthy cells. 🌿

Two substances in hemp, CBGA and CBDA, can counteract the virus, reports De Telegraaf.

So… how does it work?

To not overcomplicate things, these two substances attach themselves to a protein that is part of the virus and block a substance that it uses to infect humans. Hooray! 🎉

Scientists at Oregon State University ran seemingly tests with the alpha and beta variants of the virus, but haven’t tested this on humans just yet — anyone interested in volunteering? 😮‍💨.

The perfect Dutch stereotype

Now, you might be thinking this is perfect for Dutch people since “all they do is smoke weed and get infected with coronavirus” but it’s not as cut and dry.

Obviously, not everyone likes to or is able to smoke (although, that’s what edibles are for) and technically, cannabis use is still not legal but perhaps the weed capital of the world has hit a jackpot with this study. 💸

The Netherlands has had record-high numbers in the last weeks, so if your hard lockdown dream was staying inside and getting high on the best weed out there to fight a global pandemic, your dream doesn’t seem too far off the horizon. 🪁

What do you think of the results of this new study? Could weed be the answer to the coronavirus? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: DutchReview Reader/Supplied

Lockdown makes them sick: mental health issues amongst students on the rise

Cara Räker 🇩🇪
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Lockdown makes them sick: mental health issues amongst students on the rise

The best time of your life, that’s what many say about the university years. Well, during the coronavirus pandemic it sure isn’t.

With almost two years of an on-and-off lockdown that kept many universities closed, mental health issues amongst students are on the rise, RTL Nieuws reports.

And now, another lockdown. While childcare facilities and middle schools were allowed to open, universities have been forced to shut their doors yet again.

Now, the Dutch Association for Psychiatry has sent an open letter of appeal to the OMT (Outbreak Management Team), pleading for higher education to open up again. And for good reason.

Mental health issues on the rise

“The lockdown is meant to prevent sickness, but it is the lockdown that makes people sick,” says Elnathan Prinsen, the Chair of the Dutch Association for Psychiatry.

He says that more and more students are experiencing serious states of anxiety, depression, burnout and loneliness, that resemble actual symptoms of mental illness.

Prinsen also says that three-quarters of mental illnesses develop before the age of twenty-one during late adolescence. The years 18 to 20 are especially important to develop good brain health.

Staring at a screen all day everyday

Anyone surprised by that? If you’ve started your studies sometime in the last two years, you might have never met your classmates or teachers. Or seen a classroom from the inside.

Instead, you’re staring at black boxes with names without any real-life contact. Sitting alone in your room, staring at a screen all day.

No long nights getting to know your life-long friends over drinks, and at parties. No clubbing, no borrels, no social life whatsoever.

A letter to the OMT

All these reasons have led Prinsen and the Dutch Association for Psychiatry to write a letter of appeal to the OMT, urging the Dutch government to allow universities and other high education facilities to open again.

New measures will be announced on Friday, January 14, regarding the extension or adjustment of the ongoing lockdown.

What is your experience as a student in the Netherlands during the coronavirus pandemic? Tell us in the comments!

Feature Image: dragana.stock@gmail.com/Depositphotos

Paris, London, then Amsterdam: Dutch capital has third highest rents in Europe

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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Paris, London, then Amsterdam: Dutch capital has third highest rents in Europe

Ever found yourself complaining very loudly in a bar about Amsterdam’s ridiculously high rental prices? Well, speak up, you’re completely justified in feeling hard done by.

Unless you’re talking to someone living in Paris or London, that is. 👀

Third most expensive city on the list

While it’s hard to believe that Amsterdam’s overheated and overpriced rental market could be beaten, the rental site HousingAnywhere has carried out a comparison of the rental prices in the varying European cities in which it functions.

READ MORE | €16,000 per month: meet the most expensive rental house in Amsterdam

And the result? Amsterdam sure is pricey. It’s the third most expensive city to rent in — but they wouldn’t recommend moving to Paris or London as an alternative.

Let’s break down the numbers

The average rental price in Amsterdam will set you back a lovely €1,641, the rental site found. But don’t choke on your coffee just yet. ✋

If you decided to up everything and move to London instead, you would find yourself paying an average of €1,850 per month — 😳.

But hang on girl, that’s not the worst of it. Looking to move to Paris ‘Emily in Paris’ style? (Side note: please don’t do that.) You’d be paying an average of €1,964 per month. Who needs food, or healthcare, or savings, right? 😄

Amsterdam wasn’t the only Dutch city to rank

The Dutch capital wasn’t alone on this list of shame, however. Three other Dutch cities actually joined Amsterdam in Europe’s top 10 most expensive cities when it comes to renting. Want to take a guess as to which they were?

READ MORE | The Housing Crisis in the Netherlands: What is it and why should we worry about it?

We’ll give you a hint. Coming in at number five on the list is a city that rhymes with “smootrecht” and it will set you back a whopping €1,445 per month on average. Fun fact: this is higher than Berlin.

Following in its footsteps is Rotterdam, ranking just under Berlin in number seven. Here, you can expect to pay an average of €1,386 in rent per month.

READ MORE |The student housing nightmare: a tale of discrimination, fraud and protest

Last but certainly not least (or cheap) is The Hague ranking at number nine, which enjoys an average monthly rent of €1,295 per month. 😅

Do you live in any of these cities? Let us know what you think of these findings in the comments below!

Feature Image: Isabella Jusková/Unsplash

Dutch passport ranks fourth most powerful in the world for 2022

Farah Al Mazouni 🇸🇾 🇺🇸
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Dutch passport ranks fourth most powerful in the world for 2022

Got a Dutch passport? Congrats! That maroon-coloured baby gives you access to 188 destinations, hassle-free.

The London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners has released its annual passport index — and the Netherlands is right up there this year ranking as the fourth most powerful in the world. 💪

The list’s purpose, which is based on exclusive travel data by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), is to rank passports based on how travel-friendly the documents are per issuing country, reports CNN.

Note: The ranking doesn’t take travel restrictions into consideration. The accessibility is calculated based on a COVID-19 free world — one can dream. 🤞

Overwhelmingly European

The EU dominated the top chunk of the list for 2022, where the German passport (which grants access to 190 destinations) was two countries short of first runners Japan and Singapore with a score of 192 destinations.

France, the Netherlands, and Sweden are sharing the fourth spot with Austria and Denmark with a score of 188, while Ireland and Portugal ranked fifth with a score of 187.

READ MORE | How to get Dutch citizenship in 2022: becoming a Nederlander

Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland shared the ranks with the United States and the UK, coming in sixth place with easy access to 186 destinations.

Travel positive

In spite of the travel restrictions which restrained international mobility on many levels for the past couple of years, the firm confirms overall travel freedom.

While these travel freedoms are mainly enjoyed by Europe, North America and richer Asian nations, an individual can now visit 107 countries on average without applying for a visa in advance.

This number doubled since 2006, where it used to be 57 countries on average. 🤯

Follow DutchReview on Facebook and Instagram for the latest travel updates from the Netherlands! ✈️🚄

Feature Image: Berend van Rossum/Unsplash

Dutch municipalities sign letter asking cabinet to reopen non-essential shops

Katrien Nivera 🇵🇭
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Dutch municipalities sign letter asking cabinet to reopen non-essential shops

Several municipalities in the Netherlands have written and signed a brandbrief (pressing letter) to the cabinet, asking them to reopen non-essential shops.

With fears of the continuation of a lockdown, municipalities worry about the consequences for shopkeepers, reports RTL Nieuws. 😥

Concerns across the country

Some municipalities are calling for different policies when it comes to opening non-essential shops. They recognise that appropriate safety measures will be needed to reopen — but many business owners seem ready to comply.

Other non-essential shops are taking matters into their own hands by protesting and opening their doors to customers, regardless of the consequences set by municipalities and the cabinet. 🪧

After Dutchies ventured to Belgium for Christmas shopping, non-essential shopkeepers in the Netherlands are desperate to get out of lockdown — and honestly, who else isn’t?

What do you think of non-essential stores reopening? Tell us your thoughts in the comments! 🗯

Feature Image: harrybeugelink@gmail.com/Depositphotos

Weekly update: Netherlands counts over 200,000 positive tests in one week

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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Weekly update: Netherlands counts over 200,000 positive tests in one week

The RIVM has released its weekly coronavirus figures from January 4 to January 11 — and they aren’t looking good.

Over the past week, the RIVM has reported 201,536 new infections in the Netherlands. This is a huge increase compared to last week’s report of 113,554 infections.

The percentage of positive tests has also gone up slightly, rising to 32,4% compared to 30.8% from the week before.

In an unusual turn of events, the RIVM has spoken with the NOS on these numbers — an act that speaks to the gravity of the situation. “We have never seen such large numbers in a week,” a spokesperson tells the NOS.

Deaths

The number of patients who have died from coronavirus-related complications has decreased compared to the past week. This week, 116 people passed away, compared to 189 people the previous week.

Hospitalisations

The number of admissions to the nursing ward and the ICU have continued to decrease. The past week saw 730 new admissions to the nursing ward and 143 new patients in the ICU. The week before, there were 817 patients and 164 patients respectively.

Young people responsible for nearly half of infections

The virus has been burning its way through young people with the age group of 15-29 being responsible for almost half of infections.

However, if the virus has a firm favourite at the moment, it’s for those between the ages of 20 and 24. This age category has seen a tripling in the number of infections this week.

Netherlands records highest ever daily infections

This week was a week of records, at least when it comes to coronavirus. On January 7, the RIVM recorded 34,954 coronavirus infections in one 24 hour period. This is the highest number of daily infections ever recorded since the beginning of the pandemic.

While the RIVM was quick to point out a system failure that may have meant the number was slightly lower, the institution still recorded that coronavirus infections had increased by 63% compared to the previous week. 😳

Medical grade facemasks from now on?

We may have to ditch our grandmother’s handmade facemasks. The Outbreak Management Team (OMT) has advised that the Dutch cabinet should implement mandatory medical masks in the Netherlands. 😷

The masks would have to be at least Type II medical masks and should be worn in indoor public spaces. However, whether the cabinet will follow this advice, is another question.

No appointment? No problem

The GGD is aiming to increase the number of walk-in booster locations throughout the Netherlands. What does this mean? Simple, you don’t need an appointment, so you can find out where they’re offering walk-in boosters and join the queue.

These locations will be announced in the coming days. At the moment, walk-in locations can be found in Leeuwarden, Drachten, and Venray.

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

Feature Image: RadilaRadilova/Depositphotos

Otter spotted in Amsterdam for the first time in 50 years

Farah Al Mazouni 🇸🇾 🇺🇸
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0
Otter spotted in Amsterdam for the first time in 50 years

In furry news like no otter, for the first time in half a century, an otter has made Amsterdam its home — moving to the IJburg islands area.

After leaving bits of traces and clues behind all summer, the cute creature finally made a nighttime video appearance, Het Parool reports.

This is a glorious event as, due to water pollution and car traffic, the last time the animal was spotted in the capital was in 1963. It then completely disappeared from the Netherlands by 1988, urban ecologist Geert Timmermans tells Het Parool.

Tracking

Today, otter traces can be found all around the North Holland area, especially in the town of Muiderberg, after they started moving back to the Dutch lowlands in 2002.

As for Amsterdam’s otter, the sighting was only made possible thanks to the spraints (that’s otter poep) and the eaten fish left behind, explains Stijn Nollen who traced and captured the footage of Amsterdam’s newest celebrity.

The exact location of where the otter was spotted in the city was kept a secret as not to bother the sweet creature with nighttime visitors.

Ushering a return

The return of otters to the Netherlands can be partially attributed to the improved water quality and under-road passages which help the animals to cross safely.

According to the Dutch Mammal Association, which previously declared 2021 as the year of the otter, 🦦 traffic remains the biggest threat to these creatures.

Do you think we’ll be seeing more otters in the Netherlands or Amsterdam’s area? Tell us in the comments below!

Featured Image: neelsky/Depositphotos

Police seal off Leiden canal due to “gunman”… but it’s not what you think

Nicole Ogden 🇹🇭 🇺🇸
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Police seal off Leiden canal due to “gunman”… but it’s not what you think

On Sunday evening, Dutch police sealed off Kolfmakerssteeg on the Rapenburg in Leiden following reports of a man carrying a firearm. A police helicopter was even seen circling the Leiden city centre for a long time.

So what turned this peaceful student street into a scene from Criminal Minds? A woman reported seeing a man walking with a rifle inside a student house in Kolfmakersteeg and called 112, reports the Sleutelstad.

Multiple police units were on the scene and armoured officers urged the students to come out of their house with their hands on their heads. One of those students was the alleged gunman.

However, it turns out that the gun was actually an air rifle that belonged to a student’s grandfather. It was being used to kill a mouse in a trap to give it “his last push”. 😳

A big mouse-understanding

Once the police realised that the rifle was “a harmless piece of antique”, things calmed down and everyone went back into their homes at around 9 PM. The rifle wasn’t seized by police.

The woman who sounded the alarm didn’t recognise her neighbour across the street and when she saw what could be a potential firearm, she dialled the emergency number. Turns out, he had shaved his head and she thought he was a stranger.

“I know what he looks like. And it wasn’t my neighbour standing there with a gun. I saw a strange man load the gun, walk away, and then come back a moment later and load it again,” the woman told Omroep West. Let’s be honest, it’s a fair reason to panic.

But now the neighbour laughs about the incident and says that her neighbour has “forgiven me. The air rifle belonged to his grandfather, so he was very happy to hear from the police that he could keep it. All’s well that ends well, I guess.”

As for the outcome of the mouse, sadly it didn’t survive the air rifle. 😭

What do you think about the air rifle incident? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Feature Image: Vera de Kok/Wikimedia Commons/CC4.0

Several Dutch shops open in protest against coronavirus measures

Katrien Nivera 🇵🇭
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2
Several Dutch shops open in protest against coronavirus measures

In the wake of coronavirus, non-essential shops have opened in several cities in the Netherlands to protest the current measures.

Stores in Bussum, Sittard, and Urk among other cities are participating in this form of protest, reports RTL Nieuws.

In a rebellious phase

Several shops are ‘open’ for customers to come in and get coffee but you can’t actually buy anything in there. 🤷 Other shops hang posters telling customers they are open.

The municipality of Urk has already asked shopkeepers to comply with the coronavirus measures, as an act of solidarity with other businesses. No fines have been issued to these shops, but they’ve been given warnings. ⚠️

Desperate to open

According to shop owner Jo Bormans in Sittard, Belgian stores have experienced a 30% turnover since Dutch stores closed — especially after Dutchies spent their Christmas holidays shopping there instead of in the Netherlands.

Shops are desperate to reopen after hard lockdown measures were placed last month — measures that have resulted in Dutch retail stores collectively losing more than €2 billion in revenue. 💰

However, shopkeepers will have to wait to see if they will be able to reopen until the next set of coronavirus measures are announced in the upcoming press conference.

What do you think of this form of protest against the coronavirus measures? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: VAKSMANV101/Depositphotos

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