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5 reasons why Tilburg is the perfect place for a family staycation

Jen Lorimer 🇿🇼
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5 reasons why Tilburg is the perfect place for a family staycation

Coronavirus might mean we have to wave goodbye to international travel plans — but who said you have to have a dull summer? We scouted out the top spots to enjoy with your family in and around Tilburg — and honestly, with an itinerary like this one, who needs an expensive exotic holiday anyway? 

Everybody needs a change of scenery (and a change of pace) from time to time, and the lowlands has plenty to discover for the curious traveller — especially one that’s looking for an ideal family holiday. 

You’ve likely been to Amsterdam and Rotterdam, so why not step a little off the beaten track and explore Tilburg and its gorgeous surroundings. We can guarantee you’ll be asking yourself why you’ve never done so before.

Here’s why we think Tilburg is an underrated hidden gem you definitely shouldn’t miss this summer: 

1. You can enjoy plenty of lush greenery around Tilburg

Tilburg is the greenest city of North-Brabant and there are plenty of lush green spaces that the city has to offer. And what’s better than going on walks in nature? 

We’ve got an answer: waking up in a cabin that’s right in the middle of it — especially when said nature is a beautiful national park such as the Loonse & Drunense Dunes. This is the perfect place to make memories, and take those family photos that you’ll be looking back on fondly for years. 

Looking for peaceful surroundings to recharge in? Tilburg also has several lovely forest parks within the city such as the Wandelbos and Oude Warande for walks, bike rides and picnics. You’ll all go home feeling fresh and ready to take on the world again.

2. The largest wildlife zoo is just a stone’s throw away

Did you know that the Netherlands has its own safari park? Beekse Bergen is one of the best zoos in the country and it promises a day full of adventure.

Also, African PENGUINS! Image: Abuzer van Leeuwen/Supplied

On one of those fine days in the Netherlands when the sun and temperature were up and coronavirus numbers were down, we visited this unique park just south of Tilburg. It has been completely revamped in recent years and it shows.

The nature is glorious, and if you’re not gazing at beautiful animals in spacious enclosures then you can enjoy the boho festival vibe that they’ve created through tons of little jungle villages and tents playing music.

You can walk around the park — and it’s pretty big, so you can easily spend the whole day there. But don’t worry, if your legs get tired, you can also tour the park by boat! It’s completely free and about as close as you’ll ever get to a jungle cruise in the Netherlands.

All aboard the jungle cruise! Image: Abuzer van Leeuwen/supplied
TIiburg-staycation-Beekse-Bergen-safari-park
Or cruise along on this Dutch safari in your own car! Image: Abuzer van Leeuwen/supplied

There’s also the option of enjoying a Dutch safari from your own car as you truck around and spot the wildlife throughout the park. If you ever felt like enjoying an Indiana Jones-esque experience in the Netherlands, this is as close as you’ll get and it’s pretty sweet for all ages.

Both my kids and my in-laws loved it — and we all know these are tough crowds to please!

Family-staycation-Bekse-Bergen
The perfect family staycation! Image: Abuzer van Leeuwen/supplied

If you’re wondering what else Tilburg and North-Brabant have in store for you this summer vacay then head on over to our friends at Ticket to Tilburg for some seriously fun holiday suggestions!

3. Tilburg has activities that will excite your youngest ones…

After a day of admiring magnificent wildlife, you can let your inner child (or your actual, physical child) out in the iconic fairytale-themed amusement park, Efteling — one of the oldest and best-loved theme parks in the Netherlands (and Europe). Almost every Dutch person has fond memories from Efteling, so be sure you add it to your itinerary. 

Efteling has plenty for the young explorer to marvel at — from the Fairytale Forest, to a steam train tour. If you’re an adrenaline junkie and this all sounds a little tame, never fear — the park won’t leave the thrill-seekers among you bored either. Rollercoasters such as the Python or Baron 1898 will definitely get your heart racing. 

Tilburg-staycation-family-of-four-enjoying-a-day-out-at-Efteling-theme-park
Tired out after a day full of fun at Efteling. Image: Abuzer van Leeuwen/supplied

This theme park has something for everyone and is an ideal pick for an outing with the family. It’s sure to bring laughs and smiles for young and old. 

This season a unique product is available. Namely a combination ticket for the Efteling and Safari Park Beekse Bergen. The combi ticket normally costs €72.00, but can now be booked for €60.00! Pay for one part of the combi ticket and the other part will be added after payment.

4. …as well as your older children

We know how difficult it can be to excite teenagers. If roller coasters won’t do it, maybe cruising through the hip streets of Tilburg on an e-step will. The city is full of incredible street art that will keep you busy exploring for an entire afternoon. 

With murals ranging from ostriches to an octopus — you’ll never see graffiti or grey walls the same. Nothing beats the excitement of coming around the corner and spotting an artwork. Which family member will spot the most?  

magical-murals-photo-of-a-house-with-a-mural-tilburg-ostrich
Just a casual Ostrich. Image: Jana Vondráčková/Supplied
magical-murals-of-Tilburg-photo-of-a-girl-with-an-e-step-in-front-of-a-mural-in-tilburg
Cruise along on an e-step! Image: Jana Vondráčková/Supplied

If that’s not enough to inspire your creative souls, make sure you also check out the Doloris art maze, after grabbing a snack at the Spoorzone. 

5. You can marvel at contemporary sculpture and enjoy a nature walk at the same time

Want to do something different with the family, like escaping the hullabaloo and getting cultured? Stroll through Tilburg’s popular De Oude Warande (pleasure-garden) and admire this years’ Lustwarande STATIONS exhibition which is made up of works of art from 12 unique artists. The sculptures are there for you to see until October 3 — don’t miss this fascinating exhibition.

If you’re short on time, Tilburg is also great for a day trip. Whether you’re looking to enjoy the largest funfair in the Netherlands or the country’s most hip library, Tilburg has something for whatever mood you’re in. But we can definitely recommend booking something in the lush natural surroundings of Tilburg.

The relaxed pace of life in Brabant, the many nature reserves, the variety of theme parks and the city itself will ensure you get that proper holiday feeling.

Need even more tips on a day trip to Tilburg and North-Brabant? Head over to Ticket to Tilburg to find out what’s happening in the city right now.

Have you visited Tilburg before? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!

Feature Image: Abuzer van Leeuwen/Supplied.

5 Dutch startups that are changing the game (and they’re also our neighbours!)

Emily Burger
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5 Dutch startups that are changing the game (and they’re also our neighbours!)

You’ve seen us rave about Dutch innovation before, and now we’re bringing it even closer to home. Our DutchReview office is in the beautiful PLNT building in central Leiden and is home to some very cool startups.

In this article, we’re going to introduce you to our five favourites that are about to change the game in the Netherlands and beyond.

1. Deep Branch

The production and consumption of meat are recognized as one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions and global warming on the planet today. Meanwhile, the human population is rapidly increasing, and producing enough food for the 10 billion people expected to populate the earth by 2050 will be a significant challenge.

These problems may seem at odds with one another, but at Deep Branch they are working on a project that will solve both. How? By turning CO2 into protein.

How it all works. Image: Deep Branch

Using a process of fermentation, CO2 is converted into a dry powdery substance rich in protein. This can then be used by animal feed companies, together with other ingredients, to create a nutritious feed for domestic animals. GENIUS.

2. Student-Helpr

As an international student, you can face many challenges that make you want to pull your hair out! Image: Jan Vašek/Pixabay

You’ve heard us complain about being an international student in the Netherlands before. From the housing shortage to Dutch people being, well, Dutch, there is no lack of adjustments you have to make when you come here from another country to study.

Even within the universities that make it their game plan to attract internationals, the support for those students once they arrive can be lacking, to say the least. It is to solve this problem that Student-Helpr was created.

Founded by Dorin and Cristian, who came to the Netherlands as international students, and experienced first hand the trials and tribulations of such an enterprise, Student-Helpr is a student relocation platform built to improve students’ academic experience.

The start-up offers tailor-made advice and support to international students, a far cry from the one-page pamphlets university introduction weeks love to give to their internationals.

3. Bonnie

The easy-to-use app for all your receipts. Image: Bonnie

Bonnie was created to make an unappealing part of life a little less terrible: keeping your receipts. Anyone who is self-employed knows the pain and struggle of those piles of paper, and the particular pain of the stray scrunched up receipt in your pocket that dissolves into tiny white pieces of paper in the washing machine, forcing you to rewash your clothes — or maybe that’s just me.

Regardless, keeping track of your receipts is a universally hated task.

Bonnie’s founder, Arjan, believes that in the future, we will be storing our receipts digitally, and he hopes that Bonnie becomes the chosen platform for doing so.

He came up with the idea for the app while on a month-long business trip that was followed by a month-long holiday. During those two months, he was faced with the task of keeping track of all his receipts, and as he discovered, “this is just the worst!”.

So, he decided to create something people would find really valuable: a way of making this dreadful task easier and more efficient. In the future, Arjan hopes that Bonnie becomes synonymous with eReceipts.

4. Urban Sync

Tackling climate change and the ever-increasing human population means revolutionizing the way we live, and this is exactly what Urban Sync is out to do. They create sustainable living environments, be they neighbourhoods, buildings or communities — with the aim of making the world a happier and healthier place.

The key is to create spaces that are economically attractive to both users and investors, whilst incorporating materials and designs that won’t damage the environment. To achieve this, Urban Sync believes that co-operation between the various groups involved is indispensable. Connecting people, or as they like to call it, “syncing,” is the foundation of their work.

With their help, cities like Leiden can build towards a greener and brighter future for residents and nature alike.

5. Virtual Reality Learning Lab

A sneak peek into one of their master classes. Image: VR Learning HUB

Another very cool startup we share the PLNT building with is the Virtual Reality Learning Lab. It’s the perfect example of research and entrepreneurship coming together: the idea for VR Learning Lab came from founder Robin’s research at Leiden University about how VR could be used in education.

The startup came about when he realised that training companies and schools were getting interested in the technology, but were lacking someone to teach them how to use it in that way.

Currently, Virtual Reality Learning Lab is working on a major project: the Virtual Reality Learning HUB. This will do pretty much the same thing as the company’s in-person masterclasses, which they give at universities and schools: but in an online format. This also allows them to reach an international audience (that’s you!).

So there you have it! Five startups, right here at PLNT, that are changing the way people will live in the Netherlands and quite literally making the world a better place.

Did these startups inspire you? Which did you find the most interesting? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: DutchReview
Editor’s Note: Ailish Lalor was a co-contributor for this article. This article was originally published in January 2021, but was fully updated in August 2021 for your reading pleasure. .

Here’s how people who are blind can navigate the Dutch train system

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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Here’s how people who are blind can navigate the Dutch train system

Have you ever wondered how it must feel to navigate the humdrum of a Dutch train station as a person who is blind? Us too! So we decided to do what we do best when we have a question about life in the Netherlands — we wrote an article about it.

Many Dutch train stations are actually quite well equipped for a traveller who has a vision impairment. The great irony is that those of us with sight don’t really see these measures.

In an explanatory video for the BBC, Kees Greven highlights the many helpful tools that Dutch train stations offer to partially sighted or people who are blind, such as himself. “It’s really quite easy to find your way,” he says “I feel pretty comfortable travelling around.”

Easy preparation

Dutch train stations have factored in every step of a person with blindeness’ journey — beginning with how they can plan it. Kees explains that before you hit the road, it is possible to look up a description of how to make it to a certain platform in your chosen station. Travellers can then download an MP3 file of the description and listen to it on their way.

At the most used stations in the Netherlands, travellers who are partially or fully blind can even ask the service desks for tactile maps of the station’s layout.

Guiding strips

Perhaps the most noticeable is the guiding strips. If you’ve ever walked through a Dutch train station you may have noticed that there are ridged tiles that run in straight lines along the floor.

Those with partial or no sight can run their canes along these strips to feel their way through stations and to their platforms. If you’re trying to remember whether your local station has these strips, they likely do. In fact, Kees points out that over 400 stations in the Netherlands have laid out a whopping 90 km of guiding strips for those with sight impediments.

Some stations even have sound tiles near service stations and check-in barriers. These make a different sound when you tap them with your foot or cane to the regular flooring.

Braille on the rails

And how can you tell which platform is which? Many of us likely haven’t noticed, but stations are now starting to place braille on the rails that lead up/down to the various platforms. A blind person can place their hand on the railing and tell whether or not they are heading to the right platform — so clever!

Still some setbacks

However, not everything is perfect. Take for example the OV top-up stations. While braille is used to indicate where someone can place their OV chip card, there’s not much they can do when it comes to using the touchscreen.

Setbacks aside, Dutch train stations do more than meets the eye when it comes to taking care of their blind passengers. Kees points this out, saying “it’s good that you don’t have to hold onto someone for every minor step in your journey.”

What are your thoughts on Dutch train stations and their efforts when it comes to accommodating blind people? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Feature Image: Zlikovec/Depositphotos

About time: staff shortage leads to higher wages in Dutch hospitality sector

Christine Stein Hededam 🇩🇰
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About time: staff shortage leads to higher wages in Dutch hospitality sector

After a year and a half of takeaway coffees, the Dutch hospitality sector is finally up and running again. But workers are also running a lot faster than before due to a serious staff shortage — and their employers need to keep them.

The result? A slightly positive effect: for the first time in seven years, there’s an increase in incidental wages (wages outside collective labour agreements) in the Netherlands, reports the NOS.

Catering industry is most affected

Catering establishments in particular are affected by the shortage. A mix between coronavirus infections in the kitchen and a dramatic increase in visitors means many Dutch restaurants and cafes are hard pressed for staff.

An added challenge for employers is that they have to compete with better wages in other sectors. One restaurant owner tells the NOS that the corona crisis has meant some of her staff went to work for the GGD — where they earn a much higher salary.

To prevent existing staff from leaving to work for places like the GGD and to attract new employees, employers are prepared to increase wages.

A study by ABN Amro economist Piet Rietman shows hourly wages in the catering industry have increased from €10.49 last July to €11.08 this year. 🥳

Not enough

However, €11.08 per hour “is still sadly low” according to FNV (Federation of Dutch Trade Unions) Horeca director Edwin Vlek.

According to the trade union, people are working too much for too little money. This is worsened by the fact that permanent contracts are hard to come by in the Dutch catering industry. Vlek also notes that when people leave the catering industry, they rarely come back.

Incidental wage developments in the Netherlands

Piet Rietman, who is conducting a study on incidental wage developments, sees the debate about wages in the catering industry in a different light. According to him, the increase in incidental wages” means that collectively agreed wages will pick up in the coming years.”

The first examples of this can already be seen as wage agreements are 2.3% higher now compared to last July. This is still lower than before the corona crisis, but it’s headed in the right direction!

Do you have experience working in the Dutch catering industry? What do you think of the new developments in wages? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: amoklv/Depositphotos

9 out of 10 Dutch people are happy, according to research

Chloe Lovatt 🇬🇧
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9 out of 10 Dutch people are happy, according to research

Maybe it’s all the stroopwafels, it certainly isn’t all the rain. Dutchies must be doing something right, as nearly 90% of them say they are happy.

This is according to new figures from 2019 released by Statistics Netherlands.

It’s hardly a surprise, as the Netherlands has already ranked in the top ten healthiest countries and six sexiest countries earlier this year. Who wouldn’t be happy about that? 😏

As we get older, we get happier

It turns out, the older we get and the more educated we are, the happier it makes us. A staggering 92% of 65-75-year-olds reported they were happy, compared to other age groups where “only” 88-89% reported being happy. Still pretty high figures!

Education = happiness

The key to happiness also seems to be in education (queue all teachers smugly grinning). A whopping 92% of those with higher education said they were happy, while 86% of those with a lower level of education were happy. That’s worth staying in school for, eh?

And apparently, money does buy happiness. The study showed that people got happier the higher their income. It also showed that young people in work were happier than those out of work.

Not all good news

Despite a lot of people in the Netherlands being satisfied with their life, there’s a flip side to the coin. In these 2019 figures, more people rated their happiness as “extremely low” compared to five years prior. We can imagine this number will only increase when the figures from last year come out. 😬

Young, less educated people seem to be having the toughest time. There was a greater difference in happiness between lower educated young people and higher educated young people than lower and higher educated older people.

What do you make of this study? Do the Dutch seem happy to you? What’s thier secret? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Feature Image: d.travnikov/Depositphotos

Doing your inburgeringsexamen? The language requirement will stay at A2 for now

Jen Lorimer 🇿🇼
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Doing your inburgeringsexamen? The language requirement will stay at A2 for now

The Dutch government’s plan to raise the language requirement for the inburgeringsexamen to B1 level has been put on hold.

What is the inburgeringsexamen?

Some people living in the Netherlands may be required to go through an integration process and demonstrate that they have done so by taking the civic integration exam — the inburgeringsexamen.

READ MORE | Inburgeringsexamen? The Guide to the Civic Integration Exam in the Netherlands

As part of this exam, hopeful future citizens of the Netherlands must complete a Dutch language exam.

Language requirement will remain at A2

People applying for “humanitarian non-temporary” and “indefinite period” residence permits, as well as those applying for naturalisation, are currently required to take a language test at level A2. This can be a scary prospect for some — especially with the government planning to up the level from intermediate (A2) to advanced (B1).

The Dutch government plans to increase this requirement to level B1. However, according to the IND, this is not expected to happen in 2022. As a result, the language requirement will remain at level A2 for the coming year.

What are your thoughts on this development? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Christina @ wocintechchat.com/Unsplash

Beep Beep! NS to introduce smart bike tag for parking at train stations

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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Beep Beep! NS to introduce smart bike tag for parking at train stations

Dutch innovation strikes again my friends! The NS has started rolling out a new check-in and out system in bicycle sheds at Dutch train stations. With the new system, travellers will be able to check in their bikes using either a smart tag or their OV chip card.

Amsterdam Amstel station will be the first to enjoy this new luxury. As of Monday, travellers were welcome to try out the new technology. The station won’t be the only one for long, as bike sheds at Amsterdam Zuid (Strawinskylaan parking facility) and Tilburg (South parking facility) are also expected to soon make use of this new system.

Once Amsterdam and Tilburg have started the trend, seven more stations will enjoy this technology next year, the NS has announced. But they haven’t revealed which stations these will be! (Crosses fingers and hopes Leiden is on the list.) 🤞

READ MORE | 7 ways you can level-up your Dutch life with a personal OV chip card

“On average, almost 50% of our travellers come to the station by bicycle. We would like to make parking bicycles as easy as possible, to help travellers get back on the road quickly,” Anneke de Vries, director of NS Stations says in the announcement.  

How does it work?

Ok so, how does this whole new system work? It’s simple. There are two ways that you can check in your bike: by using a smart bike tag, or by using your OV chip card.

How do you check in your bike using a smart tag?

How these new smart tags work is pretty cool. You simply attach the tag to the side of your bike and when you walk through the check-in barrier, it will be recognised using smart technology! Simply wait for the green light to show and you’re good to go.

The smart tag is linked to your chip card, meaning it acts as a hands-free chip card for your bike — handig!

It’s also nice to know that you will be able to receive one of these tags for free if you have a subscription or stables account with the NS.

How do you check in your bike using an OV chip card?

If you don’t have a smart tag, there’s also the option to use your OV chip card. If you’re asking this question, you’ve likely used an OV chip card before, so this shouldn’t be too much of a puzzle for you.

When you want to check your bike into the parking shed, you simply tap your OV chip card against a screen provided at the shed’s check-in and out zone. When it’s time for you to check out — you guessed it — you tap that sucker again.

However, if you’re a forgetful bike parent and your metal child has been left in the shed for more than 24 hours, a red light will show when you try to scan out, meaning parking is no longer free. 😬

You can pay the parking fee by either scanning your debit/credit card or by choosing to have the charge debited to your NS account.

A succesful trial

This new system of checking in and out bikes was previously trialled by travellers at Breda and Harderwijk train station — and it was a flying success!

“The earlier trial showed that travellers particularly appreciate the convenience of the bicycle tag and that they find the new access system logical. Our colleagues also indicated that the new system would allow them to focus more on helping travellers and answering questions,” De Vries says.

What are your thoughts on this new system? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: NS/Press Release

Boost for tourism — cruise ships are finally returning to the Netherlands

Jen Lorimer 🇿🇼
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Boost for tourism — cruise ships are finally returning to the Netherlands

The Dutch cruise ports in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Ijmuiden haven’t had a single passenger on their quays this year. However, that is set to change as all three terminals expect to welcome the first cruise ships and tourists again next month.  

The coronavirus crisis has thrown a massive curveball at the cruise industry over the past year and a half. Nu.nl reports that the first cruise ship was meant to arrive in the Netherlands on April 10 this year. That will now only happen on September 9.

According to Dick de Graaff from The Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA), “There were supposed to be 148 ships in 2021. Now it is looking like there will only be 15.”

The cruise port in Ijmuiden was supposed to receive a boat two weeks ago, “but that had to be cancelled because the number of infections in the Netherlands was so high”, a representative of the port, Alexander Coesel, tells Nu.nl.

A disastrous year for cruises

Bad weather caused the first ship of 2020 to be cancelled. Since then, all of the subsequent cruises have been “cancelled due to the coronavirus storm”, says Coesel.

Shipping companies normally set these routes years in advance, but nowadays, they are adapted quickly to fit the circumstances — you can’t plan anything these days. 🙄

A million euro per cruise

Cruise passengers give a great boost to tourism revenue. According to Nick Hoogeweij from Cruise Port Rotterdam, “the arrival of a ship usually quickly yields €1 million” — ka-ching!

Passengers are there for the full experience and aren’t afraid to drop a dollar or two, so they spend money ticking off all those bucket list items. “They spend money on museum visits, at restaurants, and on shopping.” Heineken Experience, anyone?

The Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA) commissioned their own research into the revenue raised per cruise passenger. They found that when passengers only disembark for a day, they spend an average of €76 per person.

But when the cruise starts or ends in Amsterdam, that average soars up to €375 per person (you read that right), as passengers often also book a hotel.

Safety first — cruise passengers in bubbles

Shipping companies and Dutch cruise ports have drawn up strict protocols in line with GGD and RIVM guidelines to ensure that everything goes smoothly. The passengers will be in a kind of bubble to reduce the risk of infection.

Whether the ships do actually make a comeback will depend on how the coronavirus situation is looking at the time.

What are your thoughts on the return of cruise ships? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: fotolupa/Depositphotos

Flying free: only free-range chicken to be sold in Dutch supermarkets by 2023

Chloe Lovatt 🇬🇧
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1
Flying free: only free-range chicken to be sold in Dutch supermarkets by 2023

Love chicken but feel bad about its living conditions? Then you’re in luck. After a long battle to end broiler farming in the Netherlands, animal welfare charities have had a big win. By 2023, only free-range chicken will be on the shelves of Dutch supermarkets.

Earlier this year, Dutch chain Albert Heijn lead the way, announcing they would stop selling battery chickens. Now all other Dutch supermarkets have followed suit, meaning by the end of 2023, you will only be able to buy chicken with at least one Beter Leven star.

Beter Leven star system

This system highlights meat, dairy, eggs, and other animal products that have paid attention to animal welfare. The more stars, the better the animal’s life.

  • 1 star: there has been sufficient minimum animal welfare. It has had sufficient space, daylight, and distraction material in its life.
  • 2 stars: there has been good attention to animal welfare. As well as more living space, the animals have been allowed to go outside.
  • 3 stars: there has been excellent attention to animal welfare. Animals have had space, rest and playtime indoors and outdoors.

Win for welfare groups

Animal rights organisations like Wakker Dier have been fighting for this for years. Anne Hilhorst from Wakker Dier tells AD that this is a “huge milestone.”

Worse for climate change?

While many are pleased by this announcement, not everyone agrees with the move to fully free-range chickens. The Dutch Association of Poultry Framers has raised their concerns, and they’re not what the ones you might expect — they’re worried about the impact on emissions.

READ MORE | How do the Dutch feel about climate change?

“It sounds crude, but for the climate, a broiler chicken is better,” chairman of the association, Bart-Jan Oplaat, tells the AD. “If all those chickens have to go outside, the nitrogen emissions will go up considerably.”

What do you think of the move to free-range chicken? Is it enough? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Feature Image: Wavebreakmedia/Depositphotos

Weekly update: we’re headed in the right direction

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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Weekly update: we’re headed in the right direction

The RIVM has released its weekly coronavirus figures from August 4 to August 10. The number of infections has decreased compared to the previous week.

We can all breathe a tentative sigh of relief, as coronavirus infection numbers have continued to drop throughout the Netherlands this week.

The RIVM has reported 18,048 new infections in the Netherlands. This is a drop compared to last week’s report of 21,005 new infections. The percentage of positive tests increased to 12.9% compared to 12.4% the week before.

Deaths

The number of patients who have died from COVID-19-related complications has gone up. This week, 46 people passed away, compared to 28 people the previous week.

Hospitalisations

Hospitalisations have continued to decrease with the number of admissions to the ICU also decreasing. The past week saw 421 new admissions to the nursing ward and 115 new patients in the ICU. The week before, there were 573 and 132, respectively.

Vaccination centres beginning to close

Several XL vaccination centres in the Netherlands will begin to shut their doors this month due to a lack of demand. This month, many residents of the Netherlands will be fully vaccinated, meaning the sites are no longer necessary — hurrah!

According to the NOS, a whopping 8.7 million people have now been fully vaccinated with a further 3.6 million who have been partially vaccinated.

Dutch government offers free self tests

As of today, the Dutch government will be offering two free self-tests per household. You can expect to receive a letter from the Ministry of Health with more information.

You can register for your free tests on Zelftestenbestellen.nl, where you can input the unique code at the top of your letter. Alternatively, you can scan the QR code on the letter which will take you directly to the website.

The Dutch government has brought in this initiative to encourage households to self-test during the holiday period — you get a test, you get a test, and you get a test!

Checks in foreign airports not watertight

As of this weekend, travellers returning to the Netherlands must show proof of vaccination or a negative test certificate.

However, spot checks at Eindhoven Airport revealed that some people managed to make it to the Netherlands without sufficient evidence, the NOS reports.

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

Feature Image: kegfire/Depositphotos

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