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Another rainy weekend, but hold tight — next week will be sunny!

Jen Lorimer 🇿🇼
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Another rainy weekend, but hold tight — next week will be sunny!

We’re in for a rainy weekend, with temperatures on the cooler side — around 20 degrees. The sun will appear occasionally, but no time for bathing suits this weekend, unfortunately. Never fear, the sun is due to shine next week.

Maurice Midddendorp, a meteorologist at Buienradar tells RTL Nieuws that temperatures “will remain around 20 degrees” over the coming days.

Don’t forget your raincoat

According to Middendorp, this 20-degree weather will be accompanied by local showers. But that’s not all. These showers may be “really big with thunderstorms, hail, a lot of rain and strong winds.” So hold off those BBQ plans.

Also might be a good idea to rethink sitting on a terrace all weekend.

This cooler, rainy weather will stick with us throughout the weekend and into early next week.

Cooler than usual for this time of year

According to Middendorp, the average temperature is usually 23 degrees at this time of the year. We are currently slightly below that — gotta love summer in the Netherlands.

When it isn’t raining there’ll be patches of pleasant weather. Although Middendorp says that he “wouldn’t call it real beach weather or camping weather either.” Damn, seems I won’t be wearing my new bikini this weekend after all.

What will next week hold?

While we’d still recommend you pack your raincoat on the early days of next week, it looks like it will get drier, the sun will shine more and the temperature will slowly rise — that’s what we like to hear!

Middendorp says that the weather “seems to be going in the right direction from Tuesday.” But we’ll have to sit out a few showers first. 😢

How will you be spending this rainy weekend? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Dana Marin (Amsterdamian)/Unsplash

Office kink? Dutch rail company manager makes a porno on last day of work

Chloe Lovatt 🇬🇧
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Office kink? Dutch rail company manager makes a porno on last day of work

Way to take the office fantasy to the next level. On the last day of her employment, a ProRail manager filmed herself performing sexual acts in the head office in Utrecht.

The video was published on the porn website xHamster. The video (that we definitely, for sure, did not watch) shows a woman walking through the building before going into a conference room to “finish the job,” in more than one sense. 👀 

Now, we’re sex-positive — but she could have at least made a room booking. ✅

Stunned into laughter

It’s safe to say this is not the kind of exposure the Dutch rail company expecting. ProRail press officer, Andy Wiemer, was as confused as anyone. He told RTL Nieuws “I didn’t know what I saw. Of course, we’ve never experienced anything like this.”

READ MORE | How the pandemic pushed sex workers into the shadows

Despite the gravity of the situation, the company could at least see the funny side. “We also had to laugh a bit. We can put it into perspective.” Good to see they have a sense of humour. 😂

“There’s no script for this”

ProRail is currently investigating the incident but is unsure of its next steps. Wiemer says “There’s no script for this. I don’t think we will ever see it again.” 

Are you shocked by this story? What do you think drove her to do this? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Feature Image: VitalikRadko/Depositphotos

Goodbye to XL vaccination centres in the Netherlands

Jen Lorimer 🇿🇼
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Goodbye to XL vaccination centres in the Netherlands

Several of the XL vaccination sites will close their doors this month as there is no longer enough demand for them. This includes the mega locations in Amersfoort, Houten, and Utrecht Jaarbeurs, among others.

The NOS reports that the mega-locations are no longer necessary because 8.7 million people have now been fully vaccinated. A further 3.6 million others have been partially vaccinated.

Maaike Schaap, the vaccination manager for the GGD in Utrecht tells the NOS that “We are seeing a decline in the number of appointments at the XL locations.”

As a result, the Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam administered its final shots last week and closed its doors. The last shots will be given at the XL location in Houten today at 8 PM — quite a milestone!  

Millions of Dutchies still willing to be vaccinated

According to the GGDs, smaller vaccination centres are being set up for the 3 million Dutchies who have not yet had a shot but are wanting to.

Mobile “vaccine vans” will also begin running in Zaanstreek-Waterland, Zuid-Holland, and Ijselland to increase vaccine uptake.

Vaccinating people where they’re comfortable

Imagine getting vaccinated at church or the cinema? That will soon be possible! According to Schaap, small scale vaccination sites will soon be set up in venues such as community centres, theatres, churches, and gyms.  

These will primarily be targeted at people under the age of 35 who have as yet been unwilling to get vaccinated. The GGDs feel that these sites may be easier for people to walk into. Less daunting, perhaps?  

Schaap explains that the new policy is to “go more towards the people, instead of bringing them to us” in the hopes of increasing the uptake in areas where willingness to be vaccinated “is not so high.”

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

Feature Image: ColleenMichaels/Depositphotos

New travel advice (again!): Italy turns yellow while Croatia goes green

Christine Stein Hededam 🇩🇰
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New travel advice (again!): Italy turns yellow while Croatia goes green

Travel advice is changing once again — and there’s good and bad news. From tomorrow, Croatia is going green whereas Italy is turning yellow, reports RTL Nieuws.

This means travellers returning to the Netherlands from Italy will need to show a negative coronavirus test or a vaccination certificate to enter the country, starting on Sunday.

Yellow travel advice and new requirements

At the end of July, outgoing Health Minister, Hugo de Jonge announced that travel restrictions would be changing from August 8. From Sunday all travellers to the Netherlands have to show an EU Digital COVID Certificate when returning from a yellow country.

The certificate (also known as the CoronaCheck App) shows proof of full vaccination, a negative test result, or recovery from coronavirus within the past six months.

The certificate is already required of travellers coming from Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, or Andorra.

“From tomorrow [July 27], negative travel advice will no longer apply in the EU. Always check http://wijsopreis.nl and get tested when you get home. Even after vaccination or if you have had corona. As of 8-8, you need a corona certificate when returning from a yellow country.”

Are your summer plans affected by the new travel advice? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: AnnaNepaBO/Depositphotos

Dutch police release drawing of attacker of 12-year-old girl

Chloe Lovatt 🇬🇧
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Dutch police release drawing of attacker of 12-year-old girl

A 12-year-old girl was stabbed on Van Rijslaan in Delft at 4 PM on Thursday. The attacker came out of nowhere and stabbed the girl with a sharp object. Delft Police have now shared a composite drawing of the attacker on Twitter.

They are urging anyone who recognises the man in the drawing to come forward. The suspect is described as a white male around 19-years-old, about six feet tall, with short hair. At the time he was wearing a white T-shirt and light coloured jeans.

“A composite drawing has been made of the suspect who stabbed a 12-year-old girl out of nowhere with a sharp object last week. If you recognise this person, please contact the #politie#Delft via 0900-8844.”

Young witnesses

Another young girl was with the victim when the attack happened. The victim was taken into afterschool care opposite the park before being rushed to hospital, reports RTL Nieuws.

Due to the park’s proximity to the school and the time of day, many school children witnessed the stabbing. Officers consoled the witnesses.

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

Feature Image: Police Delft/Supplied

Crisis in HORECA: Dutch restaurants forced to recruit cooks from abroad

Jen Lorimer 🇿🇼
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Crisis in HORECA: Dutch restaurants forced to recruit cooks from abroad

The Dutch catering industry is currently suffering from an acute staffing shortage. So much so that entrepreneurs and restaurant owners have been forced to bring in cooks from Portugal, Spain, and Greece.

The catering industry is allowed to open again, but it hasn’t been plain sailing — many restaurants are severely understaffed.

Dick van Ostaden who works at the recruitment company ‘Cooks from Spain’ tells the NOS that “the influx into professional catering training courses is minimal, and is currently at 30% of its capacity.”

As a result, he has been receiving requests for staff from a wide range of establishments. He’s provided staff for “street corner eateries, to five-star hotels in Amsterdam and Michelin restaurants.”

The coronavirus crisis took a toll

The existing dilemma was intensified during coronavirus. A lot of Dutch staff left the catering industry during lockdown and haven’t been inclined to make their way back to the kitchen.

Hendrik Karabagias, a restaurant owner from Zwolle tells the NOS, “The RIVM and the GGD pay better, and we can’t compete with that.

The demanding schedule also means that many people prefer the idea of working an office job to literally slaving over a hot stove for hours on end.

New ways of operating

In Zwolle, Karabagias has been experimenting with new ways to deal with the staffing shortage. He has placed a tablet on every table so that customers can order their food and drinks themselves without a waiter having to walk back and forth several times. (It works but we miss the friendly faces.)

Some restaurants in the Netherlands have also been offering signing bonuses of a few hundred euros to try and attract new staff — or poach them from their competition. That works too.

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

Feature Image: Michael Browning/Unsplash

Harley-Davidson launches powerful, bad-ass…e-bikes?

Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
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Harley-Davidson launches powerful, bad-ass…e-bikes?

If you’ve ever dreamt of zooming around on Harley, feeling the wind in your hair and a purring monster between your legs….oh sorry, I got distracted.

Anyway, Harley-Davidson, the company responsible for iconic, bad-ass motorcycles that have no problem deafening those around them, has launched its first e-bike in the Netherlands. 🚲

That’s right! If you’ve ever wanted to be able to flick your hair and say “Let me get the Harley,” now you can. While people may be confused when whizz up on your elektrische fiets, it is possibly safer, better for the environment, and a hell of a lot cheaper than a motorbike itself.

Available now

The newest two-wheeled members of the Harley family have been launched under the brand Serial 1 and are available in Dutch Harley-Davidson stores.

Brrrrrrm! Image: Serial 1/Supplied

Three models are available, capable of reaching speeds with pedal assistance of up to 25-kilometres per hour.

Speed demons will have to cross their fingers that the company’s 45-kilometres per hour option will later be released in the Netherlands — but will have to settle for slower models for the time being.

If you want to get your hands on your very own “hog” you no longer have to spend €16,000 on a motorbike. Instead, the new e-bikes run from €3499 up to €4699. 💸

And yes, while the bikes are technically under the brand name Serial 1 (nicknamed after Harley-Davidson’s oldest known motorcycle) the iconic brand logo IS on the e-bike itself.

What do you think of the Serial 1 from Harley-Davidson? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Feature Image: Serial 1/Supplied

Fiets fail: American rapper arrested after hitting Dutch police car with a bike

Chloe Lovatt 🇬🇧
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Fiets fail: American rapper arrested after hitting Dutch police car with a bike

It’s not the best start to your holiday when you hit a cop car while cycling — but is it worse if you’re a celeb?

Clifford Harris, who goes by the stage name T.I., was arrested by Amsterdam police on Tuesday for this very crime. 🚨

The American rapper was briefly taken into custody after colliding with a police vehicle, Harris explained on Instagram.

The American rapper is currently on holiday in the Netherlands with his wife after celebrating their 11th anniversary. (“Happy wedding anniversary, honey! I got arrested. 💍 “)

Harris was originally called out by Dutch police for using his phone while cycling, after which bumped into the police car, breaking a wing mirror. And we thought we were struggling with biking. 😅

Live streaming from the station

T.I. took to Instagram after being arrested. “It’ll be fine,” he says in the video. “The officer was very concerned, but I was having a good time. They didn’t even handcuff me, they asked if I wanted to get in the car and I listened to that”.

He goes onto to say that he was taken into custody when he couldn’t provide a form of ID. In the video, he also claims that the police car ran into him while he was on his bike.

He later reported that he had paid his bail and is now free from custody.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by TIP (@troubleman31)

The rapper is known for collaborating with artists like Rihanna, Destiny’s Child, Lil Wayne, and was heard on Robin Thicke’s hit Blurred Lines. 

Ever made a biking mistake like this one? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Clara from Atalanta, Georgia/Wikimedia Commons/CC2.5

Weekly update: infections are down and small festivals are back

Jen Lorimer 🇿🇼
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Weekly update: infections are down and small festivals are back

The RIVM has released its weekly coronavirus figures from July 27 to August 3. The number of infections has decreased significantly compared to the previous week.

Over the past week, the RIVM reported 21,005 new infections in the Netherlands. This is a noticeable decrease compared to the previous week’s number of 37,343 new infections. The percentage of positive tests decreased to 12.4% compared to 13.6% the week before.

Deaths

The number of patients who have died from COVID-19-related complications has gone up slightly. This week, 28 people passed away, compared to 21 people the previous week.

Hospitalisations

Hospitalisations decreased last week, although the number of admissions to the ICU increased. The past week saw 541 new admissions to the nursing ward and 130 new patients in the ICU. The week before, there were 564 and 115, respectively.

England ends quarantine for travellers from the Netherlands

The UK government has announced new travel protocols in which people travelling from orange and green countries in Europe, and the US will no longer have to go into mandatory quarantine. The new regulations came into effect on Monday, August 2, ending what has been a strict mandatory quarantine.

People travelling to England will still have to take a coronavirus test a maximum of three days before departure (even those who are fully vaccinated). A further PCR test will be required on the second day of your stay.

Over 1,000 people infected at festival after 130 positive cases allowed entrance

A staggering 1,100 people tested positive for coronavirus after attending the techno festival Verknipt on July 3 and 4. An investigation by the GGD concluded that this was not a “superspreader” event. Rather, it is suspected that 130 people who were already infected were able to attend the event. This has raised questions about why so many people who were infected with coronavirus were able to attend a festival with access testing.

The festival was attended by 20,000 people in total.

One day festivals are back!

The cabinet has announced that small outdoor festivals which don’t involve overnight stays will be able to start up again from August 14. The festivals will be able to proceed under strict conditions.

No more than 750 people will be able to attend each event. In addition, the festivals will need to be outdoors, or in a tent that is open on four sides. Festival-goers will have to show proof of being fully vaccinated, a negative test was taken within 24 hours, or proof of having been infected in the past six months — using the CoronaCheck app.

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

Feature Image: monkeybuisness/Depositphotos

Bad weather? This is a “normal” Dutch summer, according to meteorologist

Chloe Lovatt 🇬🇧
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Bad weather? This is a “normal” Dutch summer, according to meteorologist

Despite the sun predicted to come out this weekend, the weather this summer has been a bit of a joke. It feels like we’ve barely been able to break out the BBQ before it started raining again. However, this is what summer in the Netherlands is meant to look like.

That’s at least what William Huizinga from Buienradar reports. He told RTL Nieuws that a normal summer in the Netherlands is one of changeable weather and averaging 22 degrees.

We’ve got far too used to those August heatwaves apparently. 😅

Gloomy July

We can all agree we’ve had a bit of a dull July this year. The average temperature of the last month was 18 degrees. Summer days — when it hits over 25 degrees — have been few and far between.

Remember the summer we had last year? Not fair, is it?

Such are these weird days.

Wet, wet, wet

The amount of rain we’ve had this summer, on the other hand, has been off the charts. In the last month, there was an average of 80 millilitres of precipitation. The more extreme end of this scale was felt in Limburg, where the flooding lead to the province being labelled as a disaster zone.

August will start off “normal”

So what will the weather this month hold? Well, don’t count on a heatwave. Huizinga says “there is a good chance that the weather will be a bit changeable and moderate until the first half of August. Fairly normal Dutch summer weather, but maybe just a bit on the cool side.”

This week promises the sun poking through a few showers. We might even see the highs of 23 degrees by the end of the week! That’s close enough to a summer day. 😉

Do you think this is a normal Dutch summer? Or have we got too used to heatwaves? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Feature Image: alenkasm/Depositphotos 

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