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Dutch ministry confirms: no consequences for companies demanding vaccination proof

Christine Stein Hededam 🇩🇰
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Dutch ministry confirms: no consequences for companies demanding vaccination proof

Currently, employers in the Netherlands can’t require their staff to disclose their vaccination status. While they can enquire about it, employees are not obliged to answer — and no consequences should be attached to whether they are vaccinated or not.

However, sources inform NU.nl that several Dutch companies do indeed ask their employees for proof of vaccination.

READ MORE | Vaccinated in the Netherlands? Here’s how you can prove it

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW) says it cannot do anything about this transgression. 🤨

Employers and employees just have to come to agreements

Why can’t the ministry do anything when employers ask for vaccination proof although they aren’t technically allowed to do so?

Because it isn’t written in law.

A spokesperson told NU.nl that while employers shouldn’t ask about peoples’ vaccination status, “employers and employees must come to a solution.” According to the spokesperson, such a solution could be that the employee agrees to work from home or wear a mask at the office.

If employers and employees can’t come to a satisfactory solution for all parties, “a disgruntled employee can still go to court.”

Unique situation

The ministry further clarifies that, as long as there’s no constitutional amendment, the government cannot check up on companies’ policies regarding employees’ vaccination statuses.

So far, the Dutch government has been reluctant to make any laws about vaccination proof at the workplace as it is a very unique situation.

However, outgoing Minister of Health, Hugo de Jonge, said during the last press conference that he’s looking into possibilities in the area.

Companies known to ask for proof of vaccination

Previously, it surfaced that the company Ticketmaster asks employees for proof of vaccination before they’re allowed to return to the office. If they cannot provide such proof, they’re called and asked to stay home.

A letter from a supplier of flex workers at the Amsterdam RAI centre stating that unvaccinated flex workers will be banned from events has also been leaked to NU.nl. The letter stated that workers could, alternatively, show proof of a negative coronavirus test. NU.nl cannot confirm the origin of the latter.

Other companies urge unvaccinated employees to stay home but will not actively enforce it.

What do you think of the ministry’s actions? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Bihlmayerfotografie/Depositphotos

Suspected Van Gogh thief thwarted during attempt to steal Monet painting

Kathryn van den Berg
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Suspected Van Gogh thief thwarted during attempt to steal Monet painting

At around 10.30 AM on Sunday, August 15, two thieves armed with guns attempted to steal Monet’s ‘De Voorzaan en de Westerhem’ (1871) from the Zaans Museum.

The Zaans Museum, located at Zaanse Schans, houses cultural-historical and regional collections examining the residential and industrial culture of the Zaan area.

In 2015, the museum gained a painting from the Zaan period (June 4 – October 8 1871) painted by renowned French impressionist Claude Monet. Monet, famous for his work ‘Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies’ (1899), depicts compelling landscapes while commenting on the harmonious energy humans crave from nature.

On the targeted painting

This painting, which depicts boats floating along the River Zaan, is a muted landscape painting purchased by the museum in 2015 for over €1.16 million.

READ MORE | Concealed Cupid uncovered in iconic Vermeer masterpiece

It is speculated that Monet painted this river scene on a trip to Zaandam in 1871: the scene depicts a view from the jetty of a hotel where Monet stayed with his wife and son for four months. Windmills can be seen in the background of the painting, which celebrates the tranquillity of the Dutch riverside.

Zandaam’s influence on Monet

According to the museum, Zaandam was a source of inspiration for Monet, who created 25 paintings and nine city sketches. Although famous in France for his abstract depictions of water lilies and his lush garden, Monet was not known in the Netherlands during his visit. In fact, being labelled an impressionist was initially intended as an insult and was not coined by the press until 1874.

Bystanders save the day

On August 15, two thieves fired gunshots while trying to flee the Zaans museum with Monet’s ‘De Voorzaan en de Westerhem’. Although no one was injured during the botched robbery, a fight broke out between one of the thieves and a bystander who intervened as the thieves were fleeing, reports AD.

READ MORE |A new Vincent van Gogh work has been discovered — and you can now go see it!

During the scuffle, the thief dropped the painting and fled the scene with his partner on a black motorcycle. After being inspected for damage (which resulted in the museum closing for a day), the painting was returned to its original spot on the Tuesday after the robbery.

The thief turns himself in

One of the two suspects who successfully fled the robbery scene turned himself over to the police and was arrested on Tuesday evening. Although the police would not confirm the thief’s identity to the newspaper, it was proposed by art detective Arthur Brand that one of the thieves was 49-year-old Henk B. from Amsterdam.

Brand tells De Telegraaf that, “recently, there was again a request from serious organised crime to steal art, so that it can be used as a means of exchange for lower punishments. I suspect that Henk B. tried to steal the work for this reason.”

No stranger to art crimes

In 2002, Henk B. and Okkie Durham stole two paintings from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. In 2017, more than a decade after the heist, museum director Axel Rüger celebrated the return of the two van Gogh’s paintings stolen by the art criminals.

After being confiscated by police from a mafia safehouse in Italy, van Gogh’s ‘View of the Sea at Scheveningen’ (1882) and ‘Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen’ (1884–85) were returned to the van Gogh Museum in March 2017.

Henk B. and Okkie Durham were sentenced to 3.5 years in prison and had to pay damages of €350,000 each. Still, this theft was listed as one of the top 10 art crimes by the FBI.

Follow DutchReview on Facebook for the latest news and updates in the Netherlands!

Feature Image: Wilemijn92/Wikimedia Commons/CC4.0

An autumn weather dump: wind, rain, and code yellow in the Netherlands

Farah Al Mazouni 🇸🇾 🇺🇸
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0
An autumn weather dump: wind, rain, and code yellow in the Netherlands

Get ready to feel all the autumn feels because as of today, the Netherlands will be facing some serious autumn weather for the remainder of the week.

On this cloudy and rainy Wednesday, meteorologist William Huizinga of Buienradar warns that “the days when you could go out without a coat are over.” 🧥

This afternoon, further cooling air will rage at full speed keeping the temperatures within a maximum of 14° degrees — kind of unimaginable after the recent Summer temperature strike!

Rain will intensify throughout the evening, especially in the northeastern part of the country with rising chances of thunder. ⚡ The eastern Wadden sea area will witness wind gusts between 90 and 100 km/h — where a code yellow warning was already issued for Friesland, Groningen, and Noord-Holland.

Tot ziens, sunny September

Tomorrow, although we’ll see periods of sunshine throughout the morning, the afternoon of the last day in September will bring some grey clouds along the west and north with chances of rain. ☁

It’s officially autumn, so changeable windy and rainy weather is here for the next few days at least. Rain or shine, the temperature will not go above 16° degrees this week so check your phones before shutting your front doors. 🙄

Follow DutchReview on Facebook and Instagram for the latest on Dutch weather.

Feature Image: Kryzhov/Depositphotos

Cable car over the IJ river? Amsterdam municipality is in favour

Christine Stein Hededam 🇩🇰
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0
Cable car over the IJ river? Amsterdam municipality is in favour

Have you ever dreamt of swinging over the IJ on a clear day as you look across the hip district of Amsterdam-Noord? Well, from 2026 that might be possible! 😱 The municipality of Amsterdam has taken a formal stance on the construction of a cable car over the IJ.

And what is that stance exactly? According to the initiator, Stichting IJbaan, the municipality “will actively cooperate” as they’ve entered a letter of intent with the IJbaan Foundation and the Transport Region.

The cable car is meant as a relief for the currently overstrained ferry routes between Amsterdam-Noord and West and can function in addition to the planned construction of two bridges.

New public transport connection

While there’s been some discussion about the cable car just being another tourist magnet, Wim Wessels and Bas Dekker from Stichting IJbaan tell Het Parool that it will be a crucial public transport connection between Noord and West. They say the cable car “could be crucial for the future Port-City district, where car use will be discouraged.” 🚴‍♀️

Functional by 2027

Wessels and Dekker explain that the advantage of a cable car is that the construction is much less intensive than that of a bridge.

So, while bridges over the IJ can still be constructed on either side of the cable car connection they wouldn’t be ready until 2040, whereas the cable car is expected to be functional already in 2026 or 2027. (Knowing Dutch construction estimates, make that 2030 😅).

Wessels and Dekker say that the cable car and bridges will function well together. “In addition to crossing the IJ, the cable car takes you across the Westhaven railway yard in one go to the metro in the direction of Sloterdijk and beyond.”

“Think of it as a solid tram connection”

The hope is that the cable car will be able to transport 35 people per cabin or — in Dutch words — 10 people and their bikes. Wessel and Dekker encourage people to think about the cable car as “a solid tram connection that could transport 100,000 people a day.”

The municipality of Amsterdam is not as optimistic but settles for an estimate of 4,500 travellers per day.

Private funding

“This costs the municipality absolutely nothing” assures Wessel and Dekker. The construction of the cable car is estimated to amount to around €120 million — a sum that will be covered by private funding as the letter of intent does not bind the municipality to any financial contributions.

However, “there is a lot of enthusiasm” for the new cable car and Wessel and Dekker are already in contact with financiers.

What do you think of the plans? Would you use a cable car between Amsterdam-Noord and West? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Plompmozes (CGI) via UNStudio/Supplied*

*This is a design based on the 2018 route.

A backed up system with an overflow: Dutch asylum seekers’ centres are in crisis

Farah Al Mazouni 🇸🇾 🇺🇸
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A backed up system with an overflow: Dutch asylum seekers’ centres are in crisis

The Dutch Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) has officially sounded the alarm of an approaching emergency shelter crisis scenario. Asylum centres across the Netherlands are hitting full capacity.

The COA, the central agency responsible for receiving asylum seekers in the Netherlands, has declared that the centres’ capacity of 30,000 has been reached, with 4,000 places needed before November 1. ⏳

Activating emergency reception by receiving asylum seekers in large unused locations such as sports halls is now necessary, RTL Nieuws reports. The last time this method was needed was six years ago, yet, concerns are growing about what should happen if such locations also become full or are unavailable.

Earlier this week, the first major emergency shelter at an events location opened its doors in Goes, Southwestern Netherlands. Current negotiations over emergency centres in Utrecht, Leeuwarden, and Zaanstad are ongoing.

Problems at hand

But what caused this situation? To start, a flux in asylum application numbers was observed between July and August, with September cases expected to go higher especially with the current situation in Afghanistan.

Additionally, the Dutch housing crisis played a major role in clogging the asylum process. According to Kapteijns, there are currently 11,000 people with approved residence permits waiting at COA centres for a home in a municipality.

Growing concerns

Calling for the municipalities’ help, COA’s board member Yoeri Kapteijns describes the situation as undesirable especially given the upcoming winter period — “COA calls on municipalities to make places available for emergency shelter.”

Secretary for Justice and Security Ankie Broekers-Knol expressed concern over the number of people received by the Netherlands as well as the quality of conditions in which they are received.

“I also think it is important that people can be cared for in a humane way. It is difficult to receive people, as in the Zeelandhallen, in bunk beds instead of in a separate room.” says Broekers-Knol.

With preparatory plans already in motion, Broekers-Knol anticipates this development will be scaled up to a crisis emergency care level.

Follow DutchReview on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news from the Netherlands.

Feature Image: Joeppoulssen/ Depositphotos

Dutch-led research team discover the cause of identical twins

Jen Lorimer 🇿🇼
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1
Dutch-led research team discover the cause of identical twins

An international group of researchers headed by scientists from the Vrije University Amsterdam (VU) has, for the first time ever, discovered a biological explanation of what causes identical twins.

The group, led by biological psychologist Jenny van Dongen and professor Dorret Boomsma of the VU, found that it is not the DNA of identical twins that they should be looking at. Rather, they discovered that there’s a certain substance that attaches itself to the DNA, The NOS reports.

Differently packaged DNA

The researchers discovered that the DNA of identical twins is “packaged” differently than that of other people. In a program on NPO Radio 1, Boomsma said that everyone has what is known as methyl groups attached to their DNA.

However, “It turns out that in more than 800 places in the DNA, the methylation is different in identical twins than in the rest of the population.” Boomsma added that this process probably starts very early after conception.

Quick biology lesson: identical twins occur when a single fertilized egg splits in two. Fraternal twins (A.K.A. non-identical ones) develop from two fertilized eggs. 👩‍👧‍👦

A mystery solved

According to Boomsma, “This is a very big discovery because the origin and birth of identical twins has always been a complete mystery.” 😱 This revelation is also important for research into birth defects.

More than 6,000 twins

In doing this research, the scientists looked at the DNA of more than 6,000 twins — using twin registries from the Netherlands, Great Britain, Finland, and Australia.

What are your thoughts on this groundbreaking discovery of the origin of identical twins? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Hannamariah/Depositphotos

International students struggle to enter Dutch clubs, bars, and more with foreign QR-codes

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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13
International students struggle to enter Dutch clubs, bars, and more with foreign QR-codes

While the Netherlands may be welcoming its residents with proof of vaccination back to the dance floors, bars, restaurants, and theatre, not all are granted entry to these establishments — namely international students from outside the EU.

Many internationals who have arrived in the Netherlands this year to study were vaccinated abroad — and were likely looking forward to enjoying some lukewarm Heineken and bitterballen in a bar or two.

However, they are now struggling to enter bars, clubs, theatres, and restaurants with foreign proof of vaccination. As a result, many international students in the Netherlands are experiencing exclusion in place of a bop on the floor.

Ama Boahene, chair of the National Student Union (LSVb), tells NU.nl that “if students also cannot easily participate in social activities, exclusion and loneliness threatens.”

A quick recap

As of September 25, entertainment and catering establishments in the Netherlands may open their doors to patrons as long as they provide a ‘corona pass.’

READ MORE | Simply not possible: Amsterdam will not ask everyone for corona pass, mayor confirms

This is a QR-code that is generated through the CoronaCheck app and proves that a person has either been fully vaccinated, tested negative, or recently recovered from coronavirus.

READ MORE | How to get your vaccination from abroad registered in the Netherlands

While it is possible to register a foreign vaccination certificate in this app or scan an international QR-code, this is only the case for those who come from countries that use a vaccine certificate that meets the Digital Corona Certificate (DCC) standard.

Non-EU internationals struggle the most

All countries within the EU use certificates and QR-codes that meet the DCC standard. However, there are many non-EU countries — such as the US and UK — who do not use codes that align with the DCC standard.

As a result, the Americans, the Brits and many more are either left outside the club doors or must PCR test before each boogie — no casual popping into the pub.

Urgency needed

Boaheme and her colleagues want to see this issue fixed — and soon. “it is important that vaccination certificates from outside the EU are also approved. That has to happen really quickly.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport has indicated to NU.nl that the ministry is aware of this issue and is working to provide a solution to the problem.

Have you experienced this problem in the Netherlands? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!

Feature Image: vverve/Depositphotos

Weekly update: Dutch coronavirus infections get down as we set out for the clubs

Farah Al Mazouni 🇸🇾 🇺🇸
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0
Weekly update: Dutch coronavirus infections get down as we set out for the clubs

The RIVM has released its weekly coronavirus figures from September 21 to September 28. The number of hospitalisations and deaths have decreased compared to the previous week.

Over the past week, the RIVM has reported 11,760 new infections in the Netherlands. This is a decrease compared to last week’s report of 13,347 infections.

The coronavirus positivity rate decreased slightly to 7.5% compared to 8% from the previous week.

Deaths

A decrease occurred in the number of patients who have died from coronavirus-related complications. This week, 34 people passed away in comparison to 45 people the previous week.

Hospitalisations

Hospitalisations have decreased this week. The same pattern is true for the number of admissions to the ICU. The past week saw 157 new admissions to the nursing ward and 56 new patients in the ICU. Compared to the previous week, which saw 287 and 66, respectively.

CoronaCheck app debut

This Saturday saw a large-scale debut of the CoronaCheck app which went generally smoothly. However, there were some disruptions due to the app crashing for some users as a result of cyber-attacks and a large number of users generating their QR codes on Saturday.

Wristbands instead of QR codes?

Pub-goers in Breda however probably had fewer app issues as the pub crawlers’ QR codes were scanned through the CoronaChek app upon first entry to a pub, then they received cool wristbands in exchange which allowed them to enter any pub or catering establishment. Could this be the new way party in the Netherlands? We shall see.

Corona pass fines for Dutch businesses

After Saturday, the Dutch government announced that no immediate fines were imposed on businesses that don’t ask patrons for corona pass — but that’s only if they continue to fail to ask for it in the future. Businesses and establishments may be subject to a penalty as high as €10,000, or in extreme cases, be shut down.

Some CoronaCheck app users need to wait

Those who received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine in an EU country other than the Netherlands, and their second shot at a GGD location in the Netherlands, cannot receive a QR code through the Dutch CoronaCheck app as of yet.

Similarly, people who test positive for coronavirus at a non-GGD location and are seeking a recovery certificate also cannot get the green tick through the app but should apply through a separate form.

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

Feature Image: Mufid Majnun/Unsplash

Considering higher education? Talk to the world’s top MBA providers — completely free!

Jana Vondráčková 🇨🇿
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0
Considering higher education? Talk to the world’s top MBA providers — completely free!

Looking to level up your career or finally go back to school to get that MBA you’ve been postponing for years?

Whether getting a Master of Business Administration has been a dream of yours ever since you finished undergrad or whether you’re stuck in a career slump and thinking about what to do next, the QS Virtual Connect MBA event can help you find what you’re looking for. 

Through personalised meetings with admissions representatives at top business schools in the world, you’ll get the perfect opportunity to explore your options and find an MBA programme that best fits your needs.

How does this work?

This online event is completely free of charge (hurrah! 🥳) — all you need to do is register. After you’ve registered, the experts over at QS will review your profile and connect you to schools and programmes that best fit your career goals.

Then, on the day of the event — October 7 — you’ll receive the link to attend.

TIP: QS recommends preparing a couple of questions for the university admissions representatives beforehand. That way you can truly make the most out of your personalised meetings.

What schools will be there?

The list of participating business schools is extensive, so you really get to explore the best of the best. Here are just a few schools you’ll be able to chat with about their programmes and application processes:

  • Hult International Business School (US)
  • INSEAD (France)
  • Rotterdam School of Management (The Netherlands)
  • Maastricht School of Management (The Netherlands)
  • Antwerp Management School (Belgium)
  • Vlerick Business School (Belgium)
  • Copenhagen Business School (Denmark)
  • ESSEC Business School (France)
  • EU Business School (Switzerland)
  • IE Business School (Spain)
  • Warwick Business School (UK)
  • Thunderbird School of Global Management (US)
  • WHU — Otto Beisheim School of Management (Germany)

There’s more

Next to getting information about top MBAs at top universities, you’ll be able to join a workshop on how to strengthen your MBA application — talk about killing two birds with one stone! 

On top of that, you’ll also get unique access to a scholarship platform with $45,000 available to future students. Now that’s a chance you don’t want to miss!

There are limited spots available so make sure you register ASAP. Attendees will receive a €25 voucher for Bol.com. 🤩

Quick details: QS Virtual Connect Masters

When: October 7, 6:30-9 PM
Where: Online on Zoom
How to register: At the QS website
Cost: €0

Which schools would you love to have a chat with? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: AllaSerebrina/Depositphotos

Leader of The Hague Party of Unity suspected of planning an attack on Dutch PM Rutte

Christine Stein Hededam 🇩🇰
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0
Leader of The Hague Party of Unity suspected of planning an attack on Dutch PM Rutte

Arnoud van Doorn, councillor from the Hague and leader of the Party of Unity, was arrested by the Royal and Diplomatic Security Service (DKDB) this Sunday. After spending the night in jail, he’s now been released.

The arrest came after Van Doorn walked through the same neighbourhood in which Rutte was present — while displaying “suspicious behaviour,” reports AD.

Planning assassination attempt?

The suspicious behaviour is believed by the DKDB to be caused by preparing an assassination attempt, possibly on PM Rutte.

Van Doorn was released Monday afternoon after a police interrogation but a spokesperson from the Public Prosecution Service in The Hague confirms that he has received 120 hours of community service.

The community service sentence is not directly related to the suspected assassination plot, but for three tweets from 2018 and 2019 in which Van Doorn incites violence against non-Muslims.

Laywer says arrest is an example of governing from fear

Van Doorn’s lawyer criticises the arrest saying that it shows the detention of civilians isn’t taken seriously enough in the Netherlands.

According to him, “There was no reasonable suspicion of guilt and for that reason, my client should not have been arrested. The fact that this is about Rutte does not make it any different. Even then, or rather precisely then, the law must be respected.”

Rutte tags on extra security

Monday, it was announced that Rutte would be given extra security after he’s become a target of organized crime. While the intel that gave rise to the new security measures was received at the beginning of this month, it’s believed that Van Doorn’s arrest is related to the extra security.

What do you think of Van Doorn’s arrest? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: hansenn/Depositphotos

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