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Up, up, up! Highest ever increase as housing prices skyrocket

Jen Lorimer 🇿🇼
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Up, up, up! Highest ever increase as housing prices skyrocket

Last year saw the highest increase in house prices in the Netherlands since the NVM began recording in 1995. The increase was highest in the north of the country, while Amsterdam recorded the lowest yearly increase.

We all know that the housing market in the Netherlands is a challenge. Currently, the cheapest home you can buy is an apartment, which on average will cost you €344,000 — 20% more than it would have last year. Meanwhile, the price of detached houses has soared by 23.4% in the past year, to an average of €618,000 reports NOS.

High demand and low supply of houses

In the second quarter of last year, RVM brokered more than 34,000 existing houses. Due to the low supply of property, this was 12% less sales than the year before. However, almost a quarter more new-build homes were sold in 2020 than the year before — that amounts to more than 9,000 proud new homeowners.

This year, the outlook for prospective homeowners is more grim. By the middle of the second quarter of 2021, less than 15,500 homes had been listed for sale. This is the lowest number ever measured, and less than half of the number of homes that were sold last year. The supply of new-build homes was also a third lower than last year.

No time to waste

When a house is for sale, buyers need to act quickly — the competition is cut-throat! According to the real estate association, it takes an average of 24 days for a house to be sold. That’s the shortest period ever recorded in the Netherlands.

Sadly, the luxury of choice does not exist in these times either. On average, buyers were only able to choose from two houses.

Lockdown has changed people’s priorities

The last year and a half of lockdown and working from home has helped many people realise that it’s time to escape the rat race. According to the NVM real estate association, people have never valued their living environment and the impact that it has on their quality of life as much as they do now.

As a result, many people have traded in their shoebox apartments in Amsterdam in favour of more spacious homes in rural areas and the fields of the north.

A move to the north

The increase in house prices has been most noticeable in the north of the Netherlands — namely in regions such as East Friesland, the top of Overijssel and Groningen. In these areas, prices have soared by up to 30%.

Amsterdam has seen the lowest average increase over the past year. Buying a canal house will only cost you 14% more this year than it would have in 2020 — whoever would have thought Amsterdam would have the lowest inflation. The brokers’ association indicated earlier this year that the strongest wave of pricing increases in the region is over.

Meanwhile, if you’re planning to buy a house in The Hague, Rotterdam, and Utrecht, it’ll cost you 20% more this year.

What is your experience of the Dutch housing market? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Oledjio/Depositphotos

Travel advice for the Netherlands may change today: no more summer abroad?

Christine Stein Hededam 🇩🇰
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Travel advice for the Netherlands may change today: no more summer abroad?

Don’t pack your suitcase just yet. Outgoing Minister of Health, Hugo de Jonge, warns that the colour code for the Netherlands might change to red on the European coronavirus map — meaning more restrictions for travellers.

The map is published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDPC) every Thursday and is based on the outcome of test results in the past 14 days. With the latest rise in infections, it’s not looking promising for Dutch travellers.

Could the Netherlands go to code red?

Currently, the Netherlands enjoys the freedom of a code orange (and even green in some regions) on the ECDC map for travel recommendations in Europe. 🙌 However, a colour change would mean increased travel restrictions when embarking on your trip abroad from the Netherlands.

The ECDC map is not binding advice but a guideline to create “a coordinated approach to the restriction of free movement in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Hence, it’s always up to individual countries to decide whether they welcome travellers from the Netherlands or not. A code red though will strongly suggest that they shouldn’t.

According to Nu.nl, De Jonge does not expect the coming ECDC update to have adverse effects on travel from the Netherlands, but he suspects the next one might — let’s hope the current infection trend changes before that. 🤞

De Jonge calls on the Outbreak Management Team (OMT) for advice

To mitigate a potential restriction of movement for people in the Netherlands, De Jonge has asked the OMT for urgent advice on the situation. This was encouraged by several parties in the government.

The hope is that the OMT can help to find out which measures are necessary to stabilise the recent outbreaks in the Netherlands.

READ MORE | Back to restrictions? Dutch cabinet seeks urgent advice from OMT as infections surge

Reluctant to increase measures

Despite the increased infection rates, De Jonge does not want to introduce new restrictions just yet. During a debate in the Parliament yesterday, he emphasised that he wants to respect the goals of the government coronavirus policy.

“In a moment I’m going to a debate in the Second Chamber about the coronacrisis and the measurements we are taking.” (For those interested, the recording is still available — time to practice those Dutch listening skills! 😆)

What do you think of De Jonge’s statements? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Dimaberlin/Depositphotos

Back to restrictions? Dutch cabinet seeks urgent advice from OMT as infections surge

Jana Vondráčková 🇨🇿
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Back to restrictions? Dutch cabinet seeks urgent advice from OMT as infections surge

Just as we’re getting used to life slowly coming back to normal, we may need to prepare to take a step backward. News has broken that the Dutch cabinet has requested urgent advice from the Outbreak Management Team (OMT) about whether or not to reintroduce coronavirus restrictions. 

In the past week alone, the number of coronavirus infections in the Netherlands has doubled. While last week, there were between seven and eight hundred infections, we are now at 3600.

“You see that it’s increasing rapidly,” Health Minister Hugo de Jonge tells the NOS. We can’t help but wonder what role the massive reopening of nightlife or cases of incorrect access to test results had to play in this. 🤔

De Jonge assures that the cabinet’s goal of protecting healthcare is not in danger. “About three quarters of the infections are among young people and they are less likely to end up in hospital,” he says.

However, he has requested advice from the Outbreak Management Team to see “whether we really should be concerned.”

Follow DutchReview on Facebook for the latest news and updates.

Feature Image: brians101/Depositphotos

Coronavirus infections in the Netherlands have doubled in space of one week

Jen Lorimer 🇿🇼
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0
Coronavirus infections in the Netherlands have doubled in space of one week

Coronavirus cases had been steadily declining for the past 10 weeks, but the number of infections has doubled in the past week alone. It’s not all doom and gloom though, despite this, hospital admissions remain low.

The RIVM’s weekly figures show that last week there were 8,541 coronavirus infections in the Netherlands. The week before that, the number stood at 4,208 infections. This is the first time in ten weeks that there has been an increase in the weekly figures.

This has brought the Netherlands to a worrying risk level, where there are currently 35-100 positive tests per 100,000 inhabitants per week, reports RTL Nieuws.

Which age group has the most infections?

This spike in infections has mainly been seen among young people aged 10 to 29 years old. While the number of infections in this age group has been higher for a long time, this demographic now accounts for more than half of all infections — yikes.

It is important to note that this is also the age bracket in which the fewest people have been vaccinated.

The more contagious Delta variant

Data journalist, Jasper Bunkoek, tells RTL Nieuws that “the Delta variant is now going wild among the groups that have not yet been vaccinated”. The recent relaxations and return of more freedom is increasing the risk of so-called “fires” breaking out.

Meanwhile, Aura Timen of the RIVM tells RTL Nieuws that, “there are plenty of opportunities for viruses to spread easily. People are enjoying their freedom more and going to parties, catering establishments, and student associations.”

The concern is that these people will pass on the virus to older or more vulnerable people who have not yet been fully vaccinated.

Encouraging vaccination statistics in older age groups

Despite this, vaccination figures in the Netherlands are encouraging. According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, almost three quarters of people over 18 have had at least one shot of a vaccine. While 44% are fully vaccinated.

Something to celebrate: hospital numbers are falling

On the back of this news, it may come as a surprise that hospital admissions are falling sharply. There are, however, still 212 coronavirus patients in hospital. This amounts to an average of only nine new admissions per day, with only one of these being an intensive care patient.

It remains to be seen whether this recent increase in infections will have an impact on future hospital admissions.

What are your thoughts on these new figures? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: vverve/Depositphotos


Netherlands records hottest June ever: what do experts predict for the rest of summer?

Jana Vondráčková 🇨🇿
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Netherlands records hottest June ever: what do experts predict for the rest of summer?

As shocking as that may be, Dutch weather isn’t completely random. In fact, research from the Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute (KNMI) shows that Dutch summers tend to work in predictive patterns — so what do the experts expect for this summer?

Research indicates that if the summer starts wet and cool, there’s a high probability that it will also end wet and cool. On the other hand, a dry and hot beginning means that the whole summer will probably be dry and hot.  

What do we make out of this? Well, frankly, not much — because this year, the beginning of summer seems to have defied all logic. 

While we’ve experienced countless rainy days, some even leading to floods, this June was also the warmest one on record, reports NU.nl.

What’s next?

Meteorologists can give a reliable weather forecast about two weeks in advance. The days that are now ahead of us, can be classified as “slightly changeable summer weather” — meaning we will experience temperatures around 23 degrees, sun, and occasional rain showers.  

The patterns theory

The theory that summers can have two different weather patterns originally came from the American mathematician and meteorologist Edward Norton Lorenz — the same guy who incidentally came up with chaos theory. 

KNMI’s climate models now provide tentative evidence for his hypothesis. “If this is really true — and that needs to be further investigated —  this will increase the predictability of our summer weather,” says KNMI climate researcher Karin van der Wiel.

While the relationship is still uncertain, the institute writes: “we can probably expect high pressure and nice weather this summer as opposed to westerly winds that cause the rainy weather.” We’ll cling closely to that “probably.”

How do you feel about the weather we’re experiencing this year? Let us know in the comments below!

Feature Image: Hansenn/Depositphotos

Crime journalist De Vries fighting for life as Rutte condemns “attack on free journalism”

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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Crime journalist De Vries fighting for life as Rutte condemns “attack on free journalism”

Last night, prominent Dutch crime journalist, Peter de Vries, was shot four times on the streets of Amsterdam. Outgoing Prime Minister, Mark Rutte has described the shooting of the journalist as an “attack on free journalism.”

De Vries is a well-known public figure in the Netherlands, having risen to fame as an investigative crime journalist.

Just prior to the shooting, De Vries had been a guest on the TV show RTL Boulevard. He was walking along Amsterdam’s Lange Leidsedwarsstraat at 7:30 PM when he was shot at close range.

De Vries suffered a wound to his head and as of this morning is continuing to fight for his life in hospital, reports the NOS,

Support from politicians

Following the attack on De Vries, Mayor Halsema of Amsterdam gave a press conference. She praised his work as a crime journalist, describing him as someone who “keeps the investigative authorities sharp and thus the rule of law on track.”

She went on to describe De Vries as someone who “stands up for people in need, for the parents of a murdered child or people who have been wrongly convicted.”

After Halsema’s press conference, Rutte and Outgoing Minister of Justice and Security, Ferd Grapperhaus, gave a brief conference. Rutte described the attack as “shocking and incomprehensible,” condemning it as “an attack on free journalism.”

Grapperhaus was in agreement with Rutte, describing the shooting as something that “affects journalists and damages our society.”

Suspects caught

There were many witnesses to the assassination attempt and police now have the suspected shooter in custody. In total, three suspects are currently being detained, one was found in Amsterdam and two were apprehended in a car in Leidschendam.

Follow DutchReview on Facebook for the latest news and updates.

Feature Image: Press conference.

Crime journalist Peter R. De Vries shot in Amsterdam, suspect on the run

Abuzer van Leeuwen 🇳🇱
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Crime journalist Peter R. De Vries shot in Amsterdam, suspect on the run

Peter R. de Vries was shot in the city center of Amsterdam tonight.  Multiple emergency services have been called to the crime scene. The suspect is still at large.

De Vries, the Netherlands’ most well-known crime journalist, was a guest at the Dutch tv-program RTL Boulevard earlier tonight. He is said to have been shot at close range just after leaving the studio. It appears he has been shot in the head. De Vries was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Suspect still on the run

The police have set up a large search action with several units. A report with a description of the shooter has also been sent from Burgernet (a service allowing residents to stay up to date with incidents in their neighbourhood and help the police and municipality with information). The Burgernet report describes “a light-skinned man, of small slender build, black cap, dark green coat with camouflage spots.”

Along with the description of the suspect, Burgernet urges people not to approach the suspect if they see him.
photo-dutch-crime-journalist-peter-r-de-vries
The famous crime journalist, Peter R. de Vries is currently at the hospital. Image: DWDD/Wikimedia Commons/CC3.0
“A man has just been shot on Lange Leidsedwarsstraat. Several emergency services have been called and police are still looking for the suspect(s). Further information will follow. Have you seen anything or have information? Call 112.”

Do not approach the man yourself asks the police, but call 112 if you see him. People who witnessed the shooting or have images of the scene are asked to call  0900-8844.

Image: Dutchmen Photography/Shutterstock.com

Night out with a price: clubs in the Netherlands are bringing infection rates up

Christine Stein Hededam 🇩🇰
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0
Night out with a price: clubs in the Netherlands are bringing infection rates up

The Netherlands went all-in on the reopening of society, and since July 26 we’ve been living almost without any restrictions. But how does that translate in coronavirus infection rates?

Not very well it turns out. Specifically, the reopening of nightlife has proved worrisome as clusters of infections are popping up in clubs all over the country, reports NU.nl.

180 people infected after clubbing in Enschede

Last Saturday, 600 people attended a club in Enschede for a fun night out. Everyone had been either tested, provided a vaccination certificate, or could prove that they’d been infected in the past six months. ID was checked at the door and compared with their CoronaCheck app.

Nonetheless, 180 people became infected.

The mayor on Enschede said that he was “horrified” to hear about the infection rate from the club, and “did not see this coming,” reports the NOS. As it is still unclear how such a high infection rate was possible, the GGD is working together with the club owner to find out what went wrong.

Test result mix-up and rising infection rates in Amsterdam

Unfortunately, it’s becoming more and more common for people to wake up from a night out with more than just a hangover. After spending the night at a packed pub, a young man from Amsterdam woke up to a call from his coronavirus test provider saying they’d accidentally given him the wrong test result. He had, in fact, been positive the whole time.

In Amsterdam, infections have risen to 62.9 per 100,000 inhabitants. This is a dramatic increase from the week of 20-27 June (right when measures were cut) where only 29 cases were detected per 100,000 inhabitants.

Continued pattern across the country

While infection rates are higher in Amsterdam (yesterday there were 28.1 infections per 100,000 inhabitants compared to the national average of 8.9), clusters of positive test results are also being found in other cities — again these can be traced back to the dancefloor.

Despite using testen voor toegang (testing for access), six people were tested positive after a large party with their student association in Groningen.

Also in Maastricht, infections have been rising. After a staff party for four of the city’s catering establishments, 17 people tested positive.

Do you think current measures will continue as they are? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Image: Alexander Popov/Unsplash

Hundreds of vaccinations cancelled in Amsterdam: venue needed for festivals

Jen Lorimer 🇿🇼
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4
Hundreds of vaccinations cancelled in Amsterdam: venue needed for festivals

The GGD Amsterdam has cancelled hundreds of vaccination appointments because a vaccination site will be needed for two days to host the Pleinvrees and De Zon festivals.

One of Amsterdam’s four vaccination sites, the NDSM Loods, will be used for the two festivals at the end of July.

While it would be cool to get your vaccine at a festival — this is unfortunately not possible. A spokesperson tells RTL Nieuws that vaccinations “cannot be combined with the festivals on the NDSM site.” Wat jammer!

Unfortunately, those who were scheduled to receive their vaccines on July 31 and August 1 at the venue will have to rebook.

Miscommunication

According to a spokesperson from the GGD, the health service had assumed that they could continue vaccinating people, despite the festivals. However, they have now realised that “it’s not going to work”.

The GGD set about cancelling the hundreds of appointments that had been made for those two days with a text message. It almost feels like being dumped over text… spineless. In the text, people have been asked to rebook their appointments.

With infection numbers arising after the reopening of night club nights, and congested phone lines for rebooking appointments, people across social media are fuming.

However, not all hope is lost. According to the GGD, those whose appointments were cancelled should be able to receive their vaccine on the same day at a different location.

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

Feature Image: Joey Thompson/Unsplash

The Netherlands bans single-use plastics (finally!)

Christine Stein Hededam 🇩🇰
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The Netherlands bans single-use plastics (finally!)

What do we want? to end plastic pollution! When do we want it? Yesterday!

Well, the Dutch government has one-upped us because they just banned (almost) all single-use plastic two days ago. Namely, producers and importers in the Netherlands are no longer allowed to market products made of single-use plastics since July 3.

READ MORE | Higher minimum wage and no more alcohol discounts: latest changes to Dutch law from July 1

Part of the EU Single-Use Plastics (SUP) guidelines

Though the Netherlands has been first with many things, they’re not alone in the ban on single-use plastics. The new law is part of the EU’s SUP guidelines that were adopted back in June 2019.

Aside from reducing plastic pollution (especially in our oceans), the aim of the new SUP guidelines is to mitigate the impact of plastic “on human health, as well as to promote the transition to a circular economy with innovative and sustainable business models, products and materials.”

According to the EU directive, member states had to put measures into effect by July 3. These should prevent the circulation of certain single-use plastic products in the EU market.

Which plastics are banned?

A lot, but not all single-use plastics are illegal to produce, import, and sell. The single-use plastic ban applies to the following:

  • Products made of oxo degradable synthetics
  • Balloon rods (except for professional uses)
  • Cotton tips (except for use in the medical industry)
  • Polysterene foam food containers and drink containers, as well as cups
  • Straws (except if they’re for medical use)
  • Stirrers
  • Cutlery
  • Plates

How will it be replaced?

Preferably reusable products should be the alternative. However, for many fast-food places, paper, wood, or other natural materials without additives or chemical modifications are the name of the game from now on!

Bamboo and metal are also popular, but more expensive alternatives — so don’t expect to receive a metal spoon with your McFlurry. 😉 (For anyone interested, McDonald’s has mainly switched to cardboard and wood alternatives.)

But I was given a plastic fork for my “friet” yesterday!

Yes, that could be. While the ban went into effect Saturday, producers, catering, shops, etc. are allowed to sell or use up their existing stock. (We’re trying to reduce waste after all.)

This means it might take a while before the usage of single-use plastic is completely phased out. Until then, you can still get a plastic fork, straw, or plate when satisfying your late-night cravings at your favourite snackbar.

Better labelling

Those single-use plastic products that aren’t banned will, from now on, be labelled so consumers know that they contain plastics. The labelling will also show how to responsibly dispose of the product and the negative effects for the environment of not doing so.

The first of many steps

That’s right. The current ban is only the beginning of a three-year-long plan to combat plastic pollution. 💪

The next phase includes an initiative called extended producer responsibility laws (EPR). This include producers “contributing to the collection of waste and the clearing up of litter.” While the Dutch government isn’t clear on how this will look in practice, the first phase of ERP laws is going into effect in January 2023.

What do you think of the single-use plastic ban? Have you already noticed it? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: andrewbalcombe@hotmail.com/Depositphotos

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