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Dutch cabinet’s vaccination plan criticised as chaotic and unrealistic

Emily Burger
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Dutch cabinet’s vaccination plan criticised as chaotic and unrealistic

Health Minister Hugo de Jonge announced that vaccinations will begin in the Netherlands on January 4 “if all goes well”. But experts are calling this unrealistic, saying that the Dutch vaccination plan is chaotic.

“There is nothing to indicate that we are ready,” says Jan Fransoo, professor of logistics at Tilburg University and Eindhoven University of Technology. “Nothing has yet been announced about which strategy RIVM has chosen.”

The RIVM is still investigating options for distributing the vaccine on mass, which Fransoo has criticized as too slow, reports NOS. “I don’t understand the fact that RIVM is so vague about logistics. We’ve known for almost a year that these vaccines are being developed.”

Falling behind

Piet Fortuin, chairman of the CNV union, fears that the Netherlands is going to “fall behind dramatically” as was the case with testing. “The vaccination of millions of people is an immense, unprecedented operation unlike anything seen before in the Netherlands.”

Fortuin wants a military implementation plan like Germany’s, where hundreds of vaccination streets have already been set up in sports halls and stadiums.

“Everything will be ready there in two weeks. The Netherlands waits quietly for the vaccine to be delivered ready-made. Only then to see how the implementation is going. This is a pure waste of time. If we continue like this, it will take another year before everyone has been vaccinated,” the chairman says.

Herman van der Weide, former Chief Inspector of Health Care, predicts similar chaos around vaccinations in the Netherlands and doubts systems will be ready by January 4. “Unless they find another Pandora’s box, I don’t know how they’re going to do it.”

Van Der Weide believes the Netherlands should have started preparing months ago, as Germany did in July. There, volunteers have already been trained to vaccinate the public.

Impact on the economy

Although cabinet has made it clear that the elderly and vulnerable will be the first to be vaccinated, no clear implementation plan has been announced. “Just saying ‘it will be fine’ is not enough,” says Fortuin, because the delays that such incoordination could cause will only damage the economy further.

CNV argues that “the cabinet must therefore speed up the conversion of test streets to vaccination streets,” so that people can go back to work as soon as possible.

What do you think of the Dutch cabinet’s vaccination plan? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Feature Image: Polina Tankilevitch/Pexels

Increase in Polish women seeking abortion in Netherlands following strict ruling in Poland

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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Increase in Polish women seeking abortion in Netherlands following strict ruling in Poland

On October 22 2020 it was ruled that women in Poland could only receive an abortion in cases of rape, incest or when a woman’s life is at risk. As a result, the Netherlands has experienced a surge in the number of Polish women traveling to the country for an abortion. 

Once the ruling comes into effect, abortions in cases where the fetus suffers unsurvivable birth defects will no longer be legal. It is estimated that this is the reasoning behind 97% of abortions in Poland.

As a consequence, Dutch abortion organisations such as the Abortion Network Amsterdam (ANA) have received a tripling of requests for help from Polish women in the past month.

Polish doctors already refusing

While the ruling has not yet come into law in Poland, many Polish doctors are already refusing to provide abortions on such grounds out of fear that they will face prosecution at a later date.

It is believed some Polish doctors use other methods to restrict access to abortion as well. “It is sometimes claimed that a woman has been pregnant longer than she really is, so that she is too late for an abortion” Mirjam van Heugten of the Abortion Network Amsterdam explains to the NOS.

This also makes access to abortion in the Netherlands difficult for Polish women as a Polish doctor’s permission is often required. “What makes it complicated is the permission of a Polish doctor. That is necessary for us to bridge the mandatory reflection period of five days.”

Abortions in the Netherlands

Dutch abortion services have seen a significant increase in the number of Polish women reaching out for help over the past two months.

The ANA, for example, noted that the organisations inbox began to fill immediately after the ruling. According to ANA’s figures, 187 Polish women were helped to receive an abortion in the Netherlands this year, 45 of which have occured since the October 22 ruling.

The Netherlands offers the broadest abortion legislation in the entire European Union and is therefore an important alternative for Polish women seeking abortion. In the Netherlands, an abortion may be performed — in theory— at up to 24 weeks (in practice this is 22).

Currently, Dutch organisations such as the ANA rely on donations in order to help cover the costs of abortions for Polish women.

Follow DutchReview on Facebook for the latest news and updates. 

Feature Image: Zuza Galczynska/Unsplash.

Dutch BOA’s not prepared for handing out face mask fines this week

Emily Burger
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Dutch BOA’s not prepared for handing out face mask fines this week

From yesterday, a mandate has been in place to wear face masks in public spaces around the Netherlands. While police are ready to fine those caught without one, BOA’s will not be ready for another week or more.

Despite months of warnings that the mandate would be implemented yesterday, somehow administrative procedures are not in order yet for municipal enforcement officers (BOA’s) to distribute mask fines, reports NU.

Ruud Kuin, chairman of the Dutch BOA Bond, explained on Tuesday that “every fine has a so-called fact code and that is not yet finished administratively for this fine.”

According to Kuin, it could take anywhere between one and two weeks for the BOA’s to be ready, but this will differ per region and city. Wonderful.

“A bit awkward”

BOA’s had not planned to be able to distribute fines by Tuesday, since the police will be initiating the fine system first. But Kuin does admit that the delay for BOA’s “comes across as a bit awkward”, especially since this will put more pressure on retailers to manage customers without masks.

Pressure on shopkeepers

Kuin says that already about 90% of people are wearing face masks, and that it is a good thing for people to keep each other accountable. “That seems like a very desirable situation to me.”

Hubert Bruls, chairman of the Security Council, didn’t seem concerned about the BOA’s delay either, arguing that in principle it is up to the shopkeepers to enforce the mask mandate. Sure, because what can go wrong there?

The mayor of Nijmegen similarly says that police should only be called in if retail employees are unable to convince someone without a mask to leave the store.

However, retailers have already indicated that they will not be fighting with customers over the mask mandate, as they do not want to put their employees in potentially violent situations.

What do you think of the boas delay? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

Feature Image: Sanderflight/Wikimedia Commons/CC4.0

Dutch vaccinations to begin on January 4 “if all goes well”

Emily Burger
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Dutch vaccinations to begin on January 4 “if all goes well”

Health Minister Hugo de Jonge has announced that “if all goes well” vaccinations in the Netherlands will begin on January 4. 

The minister called it “a phase of hope and new perspective,” but whether the vaccines will indeed be ready for distribution on January 4 depends on the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and how quickly they are able to asses the safety of the vaccines.

De Jonge made it clear in a statement that the Dutch government will be prioritizing safety over speed, saying, “a word of caution: this really is the most favourable scenario. EMA and the European Commission are the first to act. And safety comes before speed.”

Final Procedures

Both the  BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have completed all testing procedures successfully and have officially applied for marketing authorization. The EMA expects to reach a conclusion on the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine by December 29.

Should the EMA give it the green light, the European Commission will then decide, potentially before the new year, whether to allow distribution of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine in the European market.

A similar procedure will follow with the Moderna vaccine, but the EMA only expects to have a decision on it around mid-January.

Expected vaccination capacity

Almost one million doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine will arrive in the Netherlands this month, meaning that 450,000 people could potentially be vaccinated as soon as the go-ahead is given. A further 1.6 million doses will be delivered to the Netherlands in the first quarter of 2021.

Additionally, around 400,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine will arrive in the first quarter of the new year. Most likely, there will be more vaccines from other companies for EMA to assess in the second and third quarter, but no concrete numbers on these can be known yet.

Well prepared

The Netherlands has contracts with six different vaccine developers: BioNTech / Pfizer, Moderna, Janssen, AstraZeneca, Curevac and Sanofi. If all of these pass necessary tests and are admitted into the European market, over 50 million doses will be available for the Dutch, which is enough to vaccinate over 29 million people. A whopping €7 million has been reserved for these purchases.

Follow DutchReview on Facebook for more coronavirus news.

Feature Image: Dimitri Houtteman/Unsplash

Weekly update: coronavirus continues to decline at a snail’s pace

Brin Andrews
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Weekly update: coronavirus continues to decline at a snail’s pace

Coronavirus cases in the Netherlands have decreased again only slightly, according to new figures from the RIVM. While it may be a step in the right directions, it’s not the decline we’d all like to see.

Over the past week, the number of new coronavirus cases has decreased from 36.931 to 33,949.

Hospitalisations are also down from the previous week’s 1291 nursing ward admissions and 193 ICU cases. This week, there were 1007 and 183, respectively.

Over the past week, 406 people have died from coronavirus-related complications. The week prior the were 422 deaths.

Some major developments have happened over the past week regarding coronavirus in the Netherlands, with changes in testing and wearing face masks, as well as some promising new antibody research. But even with these positive developments, some experts say we may need to settle in for the long-haul of this second wave.

Testing without symptoms

Starting today, testing is now possible even without symptoms present, as long as you’ve been in close contact with a person infected with the virus. For example, if you receive a notification via the GGD’s contact tracing program or the CoronaMelder app.

Mask mandate in effect

Also going into effect today is the new mask mandate, requiring people throughout the country to wear a mask in all indoor public spaces. Those found without may be subject to a €95 fine.

Several major Dutch retailers have said that although their employees will be wearing masks, they won’t be enforcing the rule with their shoppers. The retail chains wish to avoid potentially-dangerous confrontations, although they do expect patrons to follow the mandate.

Some retailers, such as Kruidvat and Albert Heijn, indicate that the majority of their customers have already been wearing masks, and they have no reason to believe that will change.

An enduring second wave

Representatives from the RIVM, Jaap van Dissel and Jacco Wallinga, along with Minister of Health Hugo de Jonge, have all indicated that the current second wave of coronavirus may last longer than we’d all hope.

According to De Jonge, to bring infections down to a level that allows for relaxation of measures, “You have to assume that it will really take longer than mid-January.” The health minister adds, “The fastest way to get rid of the measures is to stick to the measures.”

In a separate conversation, Van Dissel and Wallinga made a similar statement, saying that citizens need to take more “co-ownership of the problem of coronavirus spread.” The two RIVM experts say it’s “very realistic” that it may not be until March that we see coronavirus levels back down to a “watchful” level.

New antibody research

A new study from RIVM has found that our bodies are better at producing antibodies against the virus than previously thought. Coronavirus antibodies are stronger and last longer than earlier studies had shown. Over 90% of people infected with the virus still had antibodies in the system six months after infections.

Remdesivir use in hospitals

Although the WHO has issued advice against the use of the virus inhibitor remdesivir in coronavirus patients, Dutch hospitals will continue to use the drug.

A Dutch foundation that specialises in the use of antibiotics in the Netherlands (SWAB) and the Federation of Medical Specialists (FMS) refer to the WHO’s advice as a “weak, conditional recommendation” that adopts “a global perspective, taking into account, among other things, the proportional representation of other countries.”

SWAB and FMS have observed positive effects from the drug without harmful side effects and see no reason to discontinue use.

To stay up-to-date with coronavirus news in the Netherlands, follow DutchReview on Facebook.

Feature Image: Evg Culture/Pexels

The Netherlands’ first vegan supermarket is coming to Amsterdam

Brin Andrews
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The Netherlands’ first vegan supermarket is coming to Amsterdam

Vegan Fresco, the Netherlands’ first vegan supermarket, is coming to Amsterdam in January. 

It’s a sustainably designed supermarket selling only plant-based products, according to Het Parool, and people are excited about it.

An eager response

“The messages we receive are really bizarrely positive,” says owner James Fresco. “It turns out people want this.”

Fresco’s team distributed 20,000 surveys in the neighbourhoods around the supermarket’s location on Jan Evertsenstraat. Results showed that 56.4% of respondents would be interested in shopping at the supermarket, while 40.1 percent might want to shop there.

Preparing for opening

Fresco has been involved in startups for the past decade, recently shifting his focus to the food industry. His new venture into plant-based products he sees as his “life’s work.”

Vegan Fresco, located directly opposite the Albert Heijn, is currently under construction and expected to open mid-January. They will sell products from all over Europe.

In the meantime, Fresco is working on a crowdfunding campaign and collecting insight and wishes from future visitors. “Together, we’ll create a beautiful store.”

Will you shop at Vegan Fresco? Would you like to see more of these supermarkets in the Netherlands? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Feature Image: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels 

Dear Dutchies, meet a new friend — personal space!

Aurora Signorazzi
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Dear Dutchies, meet a new friend — personal space!

Coming to a North European country, I had certain preconceptions about the ways and habits of the people here: hyper-organized (check), sport-obsessed (check), crazy tall (check!), and socially reserved? Well…

Obviously, it’s corona times, so personal space is far more important than usual. Dutchies are advised to keep 1.5m from each other — but honestly, that often doesn’t happen despite the RIVM’s guidelines. So it’s definitely worth looking at the cultural background of this phenomenon.

 

One thing I was not ready for is the complete lack of personal space in the Netherlands! And here I thought that I was finally among people who despised physical vicinity to strangers as much as I do…

Now before I dive into the most common occurrences of the Dutch lack of personal space, I am sure there are plenty of Dutchies who know the dangers of coming too close to another unwilling human, but on average the personal space diameter is down at least 50% compared to the Italian one. We Italians (or Latinos, or any southern culture really) are touchy, yes, but only with people we feel close to.

Image: Natbrock Alicia Tom/Wikimedia Commons/CC3.0

Personal space in the Netherlands: in a queue

You would think Dutchies were good at making a line, but you’ll be confronted with the harsh reality that they are not. Whether at the supermarket, at the exit of the train station or at the airport gate, you’ll see a mass of people swarming around and ignoring the fact that I WAS BEFORE YOU!

Dutch and Personal Space
Who considers this a queue?? Image: Aurora Signorazzi/Supplied

I suspect this has to do with a couple of things: first of all, they don’t get mad if somebody is quicker than them and cuts the line. So they assume you won’t get mad either (wrong).

Secondly, they stand really really close to you (if you’re short like me, you might feel threatened by their sheer size), so it feels like they might cut alongside you at any moment. No customary personal queue space is granted, acknowledging your spot in the line and the intention to respect it.

Personal space in the Netherlands: in an elevator

Once you step into the elevator, you might want to place yourself in the far corner so that you don’t have to face strangers’ yawns, smoke smells or just unwanted vicinity; Dutch people don’t mentally divide the available space equally so that everyone has their own. Instead, they just step in and stay where they are, regardless of the fact that another human is 10 cm away from them and the lift is otherwise empty.

I know, how crazy is that?!

Personal space in the Netherlands: chatter on public transport

When on public transport, I generally like minding my own business, reading, listening to music etc. An effective way to convey this intention is to put on headphones, face the window and basically get absorbed by the activity.

In the Netherlands, this might be disturbed by the frequent person sitting (very) close to you despite the empty wagon and the occasional Chatter who taps your shoulder to start a conversation.

The first type can be spotted frequently in the wild train lands. Anthropologists are puzzled by his/her behaviour and have not yet found what might cause it. The leading hypothesis is that the human in question is cold and needs outer sources of heat to survive.

The second specimen is however quite rare (luckily), usually in need of emotional closeness rather than a physical one; despite the evident discomfort of its targets, and unaware of its own risk, the Chatter will start by using a ploy (often travelling info) and will keep on ignoring your need for personal space (and personal time) until you relocate.

Hopefully, your next destination is home, where you can keep on being an introvert with the need of personal space of a Yeti!

What about personal space when dating? Check this out.

Did you also experience an utter disregard a difference in the perception of personal space in the Netherlands? Let us know in the comments!

Feature Image: Aurora Signorazzi/Supplied
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in November 2018 and was updated in December 2020 for your reading pleasure.

Testing without symptoms now possible in the Netherlands

Brin Andrews
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Testing without symptoms now possible in the Netherlands

Beginning today, you can get tested for coronavirus even without symptoms if you’ve been in close contact with someone who has tested positive.

Previously in the Netherlands, coronavirus-related complaints have been necessary to receive a test.

Now, if you realise you’ve been in close contact due to the GGD’s source and contact tracing or notification via the CoronaMelder app, for example, you will be able to receive a test.

Five days from contact

According to Minister of Health Hugo de Jonge, testing without complaints should be done five days from the time of contact. The days between should be spent in quarantine.

For all of your other coronavirus testing questions, check out our guide, Your top 10 coronavirus testing questions in the Netherlands, answered.

To stay up-to-date with coronavirus news in the Netherlands, follow DutchReview on Facebook.

Feature Image: Mufid Majnun/Pexels 

Shell taken to court for insufficient action against climate change

Emily Burger
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Shell taken to court for insufficient action against climate change

Today Shell goes to court in The Hague for not doing enough to combat climate change. Milieudefensie and six other civil society organizations initiated the lawsuit and are joined by 17,000 citizens.

Milieudefensie says Shell is producing an unacceptable amount of CO2 emissions from burning oil and gas, and that these emissions should be reduced by 45% by 2030 compared to 1990, reports NOS.

This will be the first time that an oil and gas company is taken to court over climate change. International interest is high, and Milieudefensie plan to take more large oil companies to court should this lawsuit end in their favour.

“Careless and Unfounded”

Shell reacted to the lawsuit on their website, explaining that they too want cleaner energy and are already taking steps to reduce their emissions to zero by 2050. They have plans to start selling sustainable energy, biofuels and hydrogen. Shell sees the lawsuit as “careless and unfounded”.

But Milieudefensie has called Shell’s promises empty. Currently, Shell invests tens of billions of euros, around 95% of all expenditures, on oil and gas. “If you do not embrace the Paris Climate Agreement,” said Donald Pols of Milieudefensie, “then you strangle it.”

But according to Shell, it is up to governments to establish clear goals for changing the behaviour of consumers and companies.

Paris Climate Agreement

Up until now, it has mainly been governments who were taken to court over climate change. This is because the 200 governments who signed the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 can be legally held responsible for failing to meet its standards.

On the other hand, Shell is a private company that was not a part of the Paris Climate Agreement, so the question is whether they can be held accountable for not following its requirements.

Milieudefensie believe that they should, because otherwise achieving climate goals will be impossible. They explain that Shell is one of the ten largest emitters in the world. “On its own, Shell emits twice as much CO2 as the Netherlands.”

The organisation recognize that they are fighting a global giant. “It feels a bit like David against Goliath, but we feel supported by many: Shell is richer and more powerful than some countries, but it is constantly avoiding its responsibility to solve the climate crisis. That is no longer possible…climate does not wait.”

Are you happy to see Shell going to court over climate change? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Feature Image: Kent Smith/Photographic Services/Shell International Limited

#GivingTuesday: 5 Dutch-based NGOs to support

James Bogué
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#GivingTuesday: 5 Dutch-based NGOs to support

The dust has settled on another Black Friday, one of the best and busiest periods for offshore bank accounts, and a chance for savvy savers to scale back costs.

But if it’s feeling a little vacuous after this train wreck of a year then don’t worry as today is #GivingTuesday (December 1, 2020), and thus a well-timed opportunity to show support to Dutch-based NGOs.

This year has been uncompromisingly brutal in a myriad of ways. It has, more than ever, shone a light on domestic and international inequality and injustice, the importance of our mental health, and the fragility of all societies and real job security.

Beyond that, think of the whole spectrum of human rights abuses that have (frequently and increasingly) occurred, the worsening refugee crisis, the shocking abuses of democracy, the acceleration of environmental damage.

Luckily, the Netherlands is home to a number of NGOs tirelessly doing wonderful, essential work to fight back and protect those that need it most. But, of course, they need our help.

So if you want to give something extra, even if it’s just a little, then here are five worthy, Dutch-based organisations to inspire you this #GivingTuesday.

But first, what is #GivingTuesday?

Rather than re-inventing the wheel, here is how GivingTuesday describe themselves:

“GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past seven years, it has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

“Whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue or people we care about, or giving some of what we have to those who need our help, every act of generosity counts and everyone has something to give.”

The Dutch have their own version that uses the hashtag #WatDoeJij. The idea is that people can sign up their cause and the website works as a platform to advertise them. They are placed on an interactive map with all the necessary, important information.

This article lists broader, more internationally recognised organisations, but don’t forget to check out the map for the worthy causes in your local area. The more the better.

5 NGOs to get inspired on GivingTuesday

CARE Nederland

CARE Nederland is a humanitarian organisation with expertise in Climate Change and Resilience, Governance and Stability, Humanitarian Emergencies, and Women’s Economic Empowerment. If you make a #GivingTuesday gift donation, it will be matched three-fold to send emergency aid to the more than 360,000 malnourished children in Yemen.

👨‍💻 Website: carenederland.org
📍 Based in: Den Haag

Amnesty International

Amnesty International fight human rights abuses worldwide, striving for justice, changing oppressive laws, and freeing those jailed for voicing their opinion. This time every year is the world’s biggest human rights event called the Write for Rights campaign, where millions of individuals write letters, sign petitions and organise events for the cause.

👨‍💻 Website: amnesty.org/www.amnesty.nl
📍 Based in: Amsterdam

UNICEF Nederland

What they do: UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfil their potential. They focus on a broad range of aspects such as child protection and inclusion, research, education, female empowerment, and the reduction of poverty through social policy.

👨‍💻 Website: unicef.nl / www.unicef.org
📍 Based in: Den Haag

Stitching Vluchteling

Stitching Vluchteling provide immediate assistance to refugees and displaced persons worldwide (currently some 79.5 million people). This includes shelter, medical care, relief supplies, food, clean drinking water and sanitation.

The ongoing #500kinderen campaign is attempting to persuade Dutch MPs to allow immediate shelter for 500 refugee children (in place of just 100) from the Mória refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos. It was described as ‘the worst refugee camp on earth’.

👨‍💻 Website: vluchteling.nl
📍 Based in: Den Haag

Fair Wear

An organisation fighting for ethical fashion, which they believe is about fundamental rights. Fair Wear work with their 140+ member brands to find a fairer way to make clothes, working directly with factories, trade unions, NGOs and governments.

The NGO lends expertise to companies of all sizes, audit (based upon their Fair Wear Code of Labour Practices) and give training (the Workplace Education Programme) to factories, and promote complete transparency.

👨‍💻 Website: fairwear.org
📍 Based in: Amsterdam

Donating is just one way of helping

This article was inspired by #GivingTuesday, but of course, this is an all-year-round issue. So many NGOs are in dire need of support as an increasing number of people are in dire need of immediate help.

However, many of us may not be in a position to offer financial donations, and if we are it may not be sizeable at all. But financial donations are just one way of helping.

If you can’t make a monetary donation, consider instead:

  • signing up to NGO newsletters,
  • following them on social media and sharing or commenting on their posts
  • signing up to events,
  • learning about issues and other cultures,
  • listening closely,
  • spreading the news,
  • volunteering if you have the time,
  • writing petitions,
  • staying up-to-date.

There are countless ways of offering support and to join the fray. Get others involved, too.

And remember: for all the desperately heart-breaking events happening in the world, there are always people on the front-line fighting to protect others, to offer life-saving assistance, and to push for justice and equality.

Let’s give them the support they deserve.

Have a happy #GivingTuesday, and let us know if you’ve joined in and how!

Are you taking part in #GivingTuesday this year? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Puwadon Sang-ngern/Pexels

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