After much anticipation, the Dutch CoronaMelder contact tracing app can finally be implemented nationally. On Saturday, October 10, the app will be fully operational throughout the country.

Widespread use of the app has been held up in Parliament since August, due to the Netherlands’ privacy laws. Today, the Second Chamber and the Senate have finally approved a new law, which regulates the use of the app.

Over two-thirds of the Senate voted in favour of the law — 51 senators supported it while 19 voted against it. Those in favour believe that the law provides security against the misuse of the app. Senators in opposition, however, are concerned that citizen data will be traced and privacy rules will be violated.

How it works

When the app is downloaded, every time your phone is near another phone with the app installed, the phones exchange a random code, which is stored in both phones. If someone becomes infected, those whom they have come into contact with can be easily traced and notified.

People who have come into contact with someone infected with the coronavirus will receive a notification and will be required to quarantine for 10 days, whether or not they have symptoms. This poses a potential problem with testing capacity, which Minister De Jonge expects to address quickly.

Use of the app is voluntary. Health Minister Hugo de Jonge has emphasised that no one should be pressured to download the app. Employers, for example, cannot ask their employees to install the app.

The CoronaMelder app has undergone testing in five regions of the Netherlands over the last couple of months. So far around 1.3 million people have already download the app.

Do you intend to use the CoronaMelder app? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments below.

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2020 is coming to an end so please bear with us while we continue to deliver bad news. It’s still raining. And it will continue to rain for the next week. 

To elaborate, following the 50mm of rain that fell in the northwest yesterday, there will be further showers today. This is the case for the northwest where further strong showers will fall and there will be a risk of thunderstorms.

The rest of the country won’t be feeling left out however, with scattered showers afflicting most of the country today. Temperatures will remain at around 14 degrees.

There will also be moderate to strong south-westerly winds so as to ensure that we feel a nip in the air. It’s the Netherlands, you can’t have rain without a bit of wind to take out your umbrella!

The sun will remain nonchalant, as Buienradar puts it, “only now and then is the sun involved.”

Rain for the week

The rest of the week will be uncreative, copying Monday and Tuesday’s weather to a tee. There will be scattered showers and a risk of thunderstorms throughout the week.

Temperatures will sit mostly at that ever-present 14 degrees, however, on Friday we may experience a balmy temperature of 17 degrees. So you may look forward to the sensation of being both damp and sweaty as a special end-of-week treat.

Will you be bothering to step outside your doors this week? Let us know in the comments below!

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Coronavirus hospital admissions are expected to reach 1000 this week, according to Ernst Kuipers of the National Acute Care Network.

This prediction is made based on the steady increase in coronavirus figures throughout the Netherlands. Yesterday alone saw 4,581 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours.

“Based on the infection figures, we expect that the number of hospital admissions will increase further in the coming days,” Kuipers told NU.nl on Sunday.

Current hospitalisations

The number of coronavirus patients currently in hospital wards stands at 715. In addition to this number, 177 patients are in intensive care units, of which 68 were brought into the unit between Sunday and Monday.

This brings hospitalizations due to the virus to 892 people, 59 of which were hospitalized yesterday.

It is also reported that seven more people died from the virus between Sunday and Monday.

Cases continue to increase

Sunday was the first day in which cases exceeded more than 4,000 and with Monday’s figures at 4,581, it seems that Kuipers prediction will be easily reached.

It is also important to note that there is usually a delay in getting figures to reach the RIVM, especially over the weekend. Today’s release of weekly figures is therefore expected to be high.

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The vast majority of Dutch people do not believe the current ‘urgent advice’ to wear masks in public places is enough. 71% of the population want it to be a duty, and 40% want this to apply to the streets as well.

In last week’s press conference, Prime Minister Rutte announced the urgent advice to wear face masks in all indoor public spaces. However, this was not made a duty because the cabinet claims this is legally difficult, meaning that those not wearing masks cannot be fined. There is currently no majority in the House of Representatives to make masks mandatory, reports RTL Nieuws.

Demographics demanding the duty

The Dutch population are pretty much on the same page when it comes to this issue, as people of all ages are calling for the mask obligation. Of those between 18 and 34 years old, 67% are in favour of mandatory masks. A massive 81% of Dutch people over 65 want them too. The difference between men and women is a meagre 2%. This is according to a study by DVJ Insights commissioned by RTL Nieuws.

Vague rules and regulations

Many of the study’s respondents believe the advice around mouth masks is incredibly vague (79%). Regarding how many people can be together, 51% of respondents said the rules were confusing and unclear.

The 1.5-metre distance rule and hygene recommendations are better understood, but around 30% find the rule about staying at home if you have complaints unclear. Many admitted that they do not adhere to the 1.5-metre distance rule at all (42%) and others said they do not follow the advice about wearing mouth masks (38%).

Most Dutch people do not want separate rules for different age groups, as only 37% want the elderly to have stricter rules.

Vaccines

If a vaccine were to become available, 66% of the study’s participants said they would take it. But it seems the older the respondents, the more willing they were to take a vaccine. Of those over 65 years old, 79% want to be vaccinated. Between the ages of 50 and 65, 71% would take a vaccine. 62% of 35 to 49-year-olds want the vaccine. But of those between 18 and 34, only 53% were interested in taking a vaccine. Just under half of all participants think that making the vaccine a requirement is a good idea.

Do you think that mouth masks should be an obligation in public spaces? Let us know in the comments below.

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Two hours of every weekday will now be dedicated to the elderly and vulnerable at supermarkets. This is in line with the latest national coronavirus measures announced on October 5th and will kick in today.

The first hour dedicated to the vulnerable will be from 7 am to 8 am nationwide, whilst the second hour will be determined by the supermarkets, reports Trouw. But people who do not fit into this category are unlikely to be turned away, as medical fitness cannot be questioned for private reasons.

This measure was recommended back in March when many people were hoarding products like toilet paper and preserved food. Grocery stores implemented this in order to make sure the elderly could safely buy food and supplies. The measure was slowly discontinued around July when the coronavirus situation in the Netherlands began to calm down. But of course, as the second wave has broken previous Dutch records, these measures have been deemed necessary once again.

Impacts for supermarkets

The Central Bureau for Food Trade (CBL) believes the cabinet’s decision to enforce opening hours for the vulnerable was a hasty one. It argues that this is not needed in every store, as some locations see hardly any elderly customers. The organisation further highlights that customers cannot be turned away and the decision could have severe impacts for supermarkets.

What do you think of the elderly and vulnerable hours in supermarkets? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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As new daily coronavirus cases have surpassed 4,000 over the weekend, MPs criticise church services with over 600 people attending. 

On Sunday, church services in the Restored Reformed Congregation in Staphorst, a city in eastern Netherlands, held three separate services welcoming up to 600 visitors. The region is known as the country’s ‘bible belt’,  with a large conservative Christian population. Officially, they did not break any rules, though the church has received widespread criticism for setting a poor example. 

Religious gatherings have been exempt from the government’s limitation on groups over 30 people, provided visitors have a reservation and health check upon entry. Churchgoers have not been required to wear a mask and singing can take place as usual.

According to a church secretary, “We have good ventilation here and everyone is really at a good distance,” reports the local newspaper, De Senator. “We see to it that everyone disinfects their hands upon arrival and we guide people to their places.” 

Gerrit Jan Kok, mayor of Staphorst, sees no reason to intervene as he believes that “everything at churches goes well and people follow the rules.” He says, “It is not without reason that we have the separation between church and state.”

Members of Parliament disapprove

However, MPs have not been pleased with the large church services. SP party chairman Marijnissen says it’s “totally impossible to explain,” reports NOS. “Theaters and catering industry must adhere to the rule of a maximum of 30 people per room. This is irresponsible, especially towards the employees in the care sector.” 

Lodewijk Asscher of the PvdA agrees that exceptions regarding group size should not be made for religious organisations. “It is really irresponsible that hundreds of people in Staphorst come together in a church, while other Dutch people are asked not to stand by the line and their children’s football match.”

What do you think about the exemptions from maximum group size for religious organisations? Let us know in the comments below.

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Almost 12% of COVID19 patients develop heart problems, including heart rhythm disorders and even cardiac arrest, according to a recent Dutch study. It is the largest study yet on the link between coronavirus and heart problems.

The study included 3,011 hospitalized corona patients, and was supported by the Heart Foundation, reports De Telegraaf. Of these, almost a third already had cardiovascular disease, and the mean age was 67 years old.

Heart conditions

Pulmonary embolism occurred in 7% of hospitalized coronavirus patients. But atrial fibrillation and other atrial arrhythmias proved to be the most common heart problems among test patients. More serious conditions including heart failure (55 patients), myocardial infarction (15 patients), cardiac arrest (14 patients), and inflammation of the heart (8 patients) were rarer, and tended to occur in critically ill patients in intensive care.

Deaths and long-term effects

Of those hospitalized, 595 died and 16 of these were from heart problems. Patients who died were in the hospital for seven days on average, and patients in intensive care were there for an average of 13 days. Other studies have shown that permanent lung damage may be another effect of the coronavirus, but more research needs to be done on the long-term effects of COVID-19.

Do you know someone experiencing long-term effects from the coronavirus? Let us know in the comments below.

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As the Netherlands adjusts to the latest measures that came into effect Tuesday evening, the RIVM has reported 3,831 confirmed coronavirus infections as of 10:00 AM this morning. 

It brings the seven-day average to 3,147 positive tests per day. The previous average was 2,268.

Hospital numbers have also continued to increase, with 733 coronavirus patients currently admitted. Of this, 42 patients have been admitted in the past 24 hours.

Weekly deaths and hospitalizations averages rise

A reported 160 hospital patients are in the ICU, says the National Coordination Center for Patient Distribution (LCPS).

Nine patients have succumbed to the virus in the past day. Yesterday, that number was 13. The seven-day average is 14. This has almost doubled from the prior weekly average of 8. However, deaths are often delayed in being reported to the RIVM, so the number could be higher.

Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague continue to make up the majority of infections. The three cities make up 867 of the total infections of the past day.

Daily developments of coronavirus in the Netherlands

In other coronavirus news, the Dutch government is ready to strike a deal on the coronavirus law, which will significantly reduce penalties for people who break coronavirus measures.

Meanwhile, the Dutch Minister of Education has advised that the government won’t push universities, MBOs and colleges to urge students to wear masks when on campus.

Follow DutchReview on Facebook for more information about coronavirus in the Netherlands.

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