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Wednesday will be a balmy 20 degrees — with a catch

Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
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Wednesday will be a balmy 20 degrees — with a catch

We’re sure you’ve all been enjoying heaping layers on in the morning, stuffing your fingers into gloves, and ruining your hot hairdo with a beanie before leaving the house lately. So bad news: tomorrow will be a mild 20 degrees. Beach weather!

In fact, in some areas in the south like Zeeland, Brabant, and Limburg are even forecast to climb to 23 degrees. Did we just go back in time two months? (If so, can we fast-forward about 12?)

The sudden turn in the weather is even more surprising considering some parts of the Netherlands dropped below freezing this week for the first time this autumn. Twente, in the east of the Netherlands, even recorded -3.2 degrees.

What’s causing the warmer weather?

You can thank wind from the south of Europe for our short reprieve from chilly temperatures. That’s right — all those sun-soaked southern-Europeans will finally throw some warm(er) weather our way.

“That wind is much warmer than the wind we now have from the northeast,” meteorologist Nicolien Kroon of Buienradar told RTL Nieuws. “We are getting very mild temperatures.”

So what’s the catch?

If you’re waiting for a “but” — well, you’re right. While the thermometer will rise, the actual weather is feeling that dang PMS. “I expect changeable weather with a lot of rain for most of the day,” says Kroon.

Dammit Netherlands, why can’t we have nice things?

But it could be worse

Of course, while it feels chilly outside of late, temperatures are actually a little higher than average. Normally this time of year is only around 13 degrees. “But now it is certainly about five to seven degrees warmer than normal,” Kroon explains.

Of course, that won’t last for long. Kroon says that by the weekend we should be back to average temperatures for this time of the year. But there’s a catch with that too — and a good one! “Then it is a lot drier and sunnier,” says Kroon. Ah Netherlands, you’re not that bad after all 😉.

What are your plans for Wednesday? Surfing, hiking, sunbathing, or hibernating at home? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Leandro Mazzuquini/Unsplash

Nearly a week after new measures, the Netherlands breaches 8,000 cases

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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Nearly a week after new measures, the Netherlands breaches 8,000 cases

The RIVM has reported 8,015 new coronavirus infections so far today. This is 162 fewer cases than yesterday. However, hospital admissions continue to rise.

Yesterday, there were 8,177 new cases of coronavirus reported to the RIVM. Today has seen a slightly lower number, but the decrease should be taken with a grain of salt.

The figures remain higher than the week’s average of 7,827. Hospitalizations have also risen by 86 to 1,738.

A lag in numbers

Fewer deaths were reported this weekend with 15 deaths recorded yesterday and 17 deaths today. A significant difference from this week’s daily average of 25.

However, this difference can be explained by a weekend backlog at the GGDs, meaning that there is a delay in registering the week’s deaths. Chances are the weekend has seen more deaths than those that are reported.

A grain of salt

While today’s numbers may seem to be lower than yesterday’s, the number of coronavirus cases throughout the Netherlands remains high. This weekend’s numbers are still above the 8,000 mark.

On top of this, today’s numbers were reported at 10am, meaning that there may indeed be more cases that have yet to be reported.

The RIVM releases its weekly numbers on Tuesdays and it is usually on this day of the week that we see a more complete picture in terms of coronavirus numbers.

Follow DutchReview on Facebook for the latest news and updates.

Feature Image: Polina Tankilevitch/Pexels 

Misleading: over one-tenth of Dutch recycling is incinerated, dumped, or misweighed

Emily Burger
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Misleading: over one-tenth of Dutch recycling is incinerated, dumped, or misweighed

The Dutch Waste Fund claims that 52% of household and industrial waste in the Netherlands is recycled. But according to new research by Wageningen University, the amount of waste that is actually recycled is less than 40%.

The disparity in figures is because all sorted waste in the Netherlands is recorded as recycled, even though it might not actually go on to be recycled.

For example, plastic waste sent to countries outside of the European Union is always registered as recycled in the Netherlands. However, this waste is sometimes dumped or incinerated, as NRC recently reported in Turkey.

Poor registration

Another factor to the misleading figures by the Waste Fund, according to NU.nl, is that plastic waste in the Netherlands is often weighed before it is cleaned. Excess moisture and dirt in the bales of waste thus make them heavier, allowing us to believe that we are recycling more than we actually are.

New regulations are expected to be implemented next year, which will better monitor the Dutch waste industry and require plastic waste to be cleaned before it is measured. The recorded level of recycled waste is then expected to drop by about a quarter.

Is the Netherlands doing enough to recycle waste? Let us know in the comments below.

Feature Image: EKM-Mittelsachsen/Pixabay

Bargain alert: this Amsterdam garage is a measly million dollars (and the most expensive in the world)

Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
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1
Bargain alert: this Amsterdam garage is a measly million dollars (and the most expensive in the world)

A garage in Amsterdam has appeared on housing website Funda for the bargain-basement price of just €995,000 — plus tax.

What can you get for a million euros in the Netherlands today?

Here are a few ideas:

  • 33 mid-range sedans
  • 3.3 mid-size apartments in a small Dutch city
  • food, accommodation, and education for 1302 African children for a year.

But why buy those things, if you can get a prime parking location in the middle of Amsterdam instead?

The most expensive garage in the world

If the garage on the corner of Jacob Obrechtstraat and Van Breestraat sells for that very reasonable and completely non-questionable price, it will become the most expensive parking space in the world. That record is currently held by this €870,000 parking space in Hong Kong.

The spacious 22 square metre spot boasts lighting, electricity, a sink, an electric garage door, a private driveway, and a bollard with a lock, in close proximity to the prestigious Concertgebouw area.

parking-garage-netherlands-amsterdam-most-expensive
Can you resist it? Image: Google Maps

There’s space for only one car inside, and it’s so fancy you can even open the doors if the car once you drive it in. Even better, if you purchase it from this description here — I’m claiming a commission!

If you don’t have a cool million lying around in cash, you may prefer to take the affordable rental option — it’s only €990 per month or about 3/4 of my total monthly rent.

Shocking price

Is that huge price just a publicity stunt? Maybe. But the owner told AT5 that he’s been fielding calls non-stop.

Over half of teachers want stricter coronavirus measures in schools

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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Over half of teachers want stricter coronavirus measures in schools

Teachers are worried about the safety of their work environment, according to a poll by teachers union Leraren in Actie (LIA).

Of those who took part in the poll, 55% believe it is not safe to “continue with current full-classroom teaching.”

The poll also found that most teachers find it difficult to enforce the 1.5-meter distance rule in a full classroom and that students are too relaxed with mouth mask measures.

Stricter measures required

The chairman of the LIA, Peter Althuizen told De Telegraaf that teachers want more mandatory measures in the classroom. “For example, working with half classes so that both teachers and children can keep a distance from each other.”

Althuizen says that the teachers’ fear for their own health is not being taken seriously by those in charge. The union claims that the cabinet must take stricter measures in classrooms.

Minister disagrees

The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Arie Slob, has spoken on the findings. He says that while he understands the teachers’ fears, he does not believe teaching in half-classes is necessary.

He claims the Outbreak Management Team (OMT) has deemed it safe. “It is very important that children are taught at school as much as possible. According to the Outbreak Management Team, that is also justified.”

However, Slob does call on the students to keep the coronavirus measures in mind. “It is also necessary that students keep their distance from the teacher and that the other basic rules are properly observed.”

As coronavirus cases continue to rise across the Netherlands, the government’s decisions surrounding issues such have continued to fall under scrutiny.

What do you think about stricter measures in schools? Let us know in the comments below! 

Feature Image: Pragyan Bezbaruah/Pexels

Raw deal for renters in the Netherlands: is Rutte to blame?

Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
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0
Raw deal for renters in the Netherlands: is Rutte to blame?

A new study has found that renters in the Netherlands have become worse off in the past ten years, a deterioration that has been blamed on current Prime Minister Mark Rutte. 

The study by Woonbond found that tenants today spend more of their income on housing costs than home buyers. That’s right — in many Dutch cities, a mortgage will be cheaper than rent.

While 11 years ago a tenant spent 34% of their income on housing, by 2018 this had already jumped to 38%. This is because rents rose sharply between 2010 and 2019 — up to 44% higher on the free market, according to figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).

Winkels weighs in

Those waiting for social housing now wait longer to be assigned a home, and pay over a quarter more, says Zeno Winkels, the director of the Woonbond in an interview with the AD.

Winkels explains that government policy since Rutte came into power has focused on reducing social housing, and increasing the free rental market.

READ MORE » The 2020 guide to private housing and social housing in the Netherlands: what’s the difference?

“Every two years a landlord can put someone else in his house, paying the new rent himself. As a result, there are now extortionate prices, which means that people with a middle income cannot get a rental house at all,” he says. “Tenants have become the victims of this.”

No surprises

The skyrocketing house prices in the Randstad, for both buying and renting, is a common topic in the Netherlands. In fact, last week a garage in Amsterdam was put up for sale for an easy €995,000 — what a bargain!

Despite these barriers, housing in the Netherlands is scarce and is there is often huge competition when trying to find rooms to rent and houses to purchase. Despite the coronavirus crisis, rents experienced the largest rise in six years in July this year.

Have you experienced the struggles of renting in the Netherlands? Tell us your story in the comments below!

Feature Image: Ketut Subiyanto/Pexels

Royal family returns from Greek holiday after 24 hours following outrage

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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Royal family returns from Greek holiday after 24 hours following outrage

The royal family has learned that even they are not immune to the latest coronavirus restrictions. After 24 hours, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima returned to the Huis Ten Bosch palace yesterday.

Whilst the Netherlands breached 8,000 new cases in one day this weekend, the royal family took a government plane to their Greek residence on Friday. This was in spite of the new coronavirus measures. Of course, this led to outrage both on the (digital) streets and in the House of Representatives. As a result, the family returned to the Netherlands.

What were they thinking?

The King and his family left on a government plane on Friday afternoon but the King later announced that the trip would be aborted and the family returned on a KLM flight.

The trip provoked much controversy given that the latest measures ask that people only travel if absolutely necessary. Whilst the royal family believed such a trip was within the boundaries of these measures, The House of Representatives felt universally that the trip was irresponsible in these times.

Rutte was aware of the trip

Prime Minister Rutte was indeed aware of the King’s trip. In a letter to the Lower House, he has stated that “I realized too late, especially after the press conference on Tuesday evening, October 12, last year, that the intended holiday, which was in line with the regulations, could no longer be reconciled with the increasing infections and the stricter measures”, RTL Nieuws reports.

Rutte has said he takes full responsibility for the lapse in judgement “this should have prompted me to reconsider the planned holiday. I bear full ministerial responsibility for the above.”

What does the King have to say?

The King has also released a statement. He says that he and the Queen recognise that their trip was “not wise.”

“We do not want to leave any doubts about it: to get the Covid-19 virus under control, it is necessary to follow the guidelines. Discussion about our holiday does not contribute to that.” The trip has prompted serious discussion both at a governmental level and on social media.

What do you think about the royal family’s trip? Let us know in the comments below! 

Feature Image: 12019/Pixabay 

Utrecht professor passes away, leaves over €1 million for students in need

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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Utrecht professor passes away, leaves over €1 million for students in need

Utrecht professor, Joop van der Maas, passed away in June this year. Utrecht University’s fund for students in need was delighted to hear that they were listed as his only heir. 

Van der Maas passed away on June 2, 2020, and left the Utrecht University Fund as the sole inheritor of his legacy worth over €1 million.

The fund was set up for students who may find themselves unable to pay their university fees due to a change in their life circumstances. This change can be attributed to either financial or emotional problems.

A struggle that he understood

Professor Van der Maas led an interesting life. Having survived the “Watersnoodramp” flooding of 1953, he understood that life can be disrupted in the blink of an eye. For this reason, he left his legacy for students who may find themselves in a similar situation.

Van der Maas did not like to talk about his experience of the flood but Utrecht University writes that it influenced the way he saw his students. “The fear of drowning, shelter and housing with a host family [that he] suffered during the disaster had shaped him to a large extent. As a result, he had an eye for disadvantaged students.” 

The University described Professor Van der Maas as, “a passionate teacher who was keen to share his knowledge and to make students enthusiastic about the profession. Education was never a mandatory number for him.”

He believed that students should be given a chance in spite of their circumstances, saying “you have to give everyone a second chance.”

What do you think of this professor’s story? Let us know in the comments below!

Feature Image: Mikael Kristenson/Unsplash

The 4 phases of coronavirus in the Netherlands: a crisis management roadmap

Brin Andrews
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The 4 phases of coronavirus in the Netherlands: a crisis management roadmap

The Dutch government released a series of new measures on Tuesday, October 13, to combat the country’s rapidly increasing number of coronavirus infections. Along with this new package, they have presented a long-term strategy, or roadmap, for managing the crisis.

This roadmap categorises regional risk into four different levels: caution, concern, serious, or very serious. Each level has corresponding measures recommended along with it.

The recommendations are to be considered in addition to the government’s basic rules, such as hand washing, maintaining 1.5 metres distance, wearing a mask on public transportation, and staying at home if symptoms are present.

Every Monday, RIVM calculates the risk level of each region. The ‘very serious’ level of risk level now applies to eight different safety regions.

Risk levels

Level 1: “caution”

Less than 50 positive tests per 100,000 inhabitants in one week. The situation is manageable. Vulnerable groups must remain alert.

  • Reservations are required in restaurants and bars, people must sit in fixed seats, and undergo a check call.
  • Reservations are required at events.
  • At a funeral, a maximum of 100 people are allowed inside and 250 people outside.
  • Work from home whenever possible.
  • Face masks must be worn in stores.

Level 2: “concern”

More than 50 positive tests per 100,000 inhabitants in one week. The situation is moving in a negative direction and the existing approach must be strengthened.

  • For home visits, a maximum of six people from another household are allowed.
  • For meetings and events, a reservation is needed. A maximum of 60 people are allowed inside and 80 people outside.
  • Restaurants and bars must be closed by 1 AM with no new guests after midnight.
  • Limit travel.
  • For weddings, a maximum of 60 guests may be indoors or 80 guests outdoors.
  • At a funeral, a maximum of 100 people may be inside and 250 people outside.
  • Designated shopping hours for elderly and vulnerable people.

Level 3: “serious”

More than 150 positive tests per 100,000 inhabitants in one week. Severe measures are needed to prevent further escalation and return to a manageable situation.

  • Group size no larger than four in public.
  • For home visits, a maximum of three guests per household.
  • For meetings and events, a reservation is required, and a maximum of 30 people inside and 40 people outside.
  • No shopping in the evenings, except for food sales.
  • Weddings may have a maximum of 30 guests.
  • At a funeral, a maximum of 100 people are allowed inside and 250 people outside.
  • All restaurants and bars close at 10 PM with last entry at 9 PM.

Level 4: “very serious”

More than 250 positive test results per 100,000 inhabitants in one week. A very large number of people are infectious and more severe national measures are needed. Contact tracing is no longer effective.

  • Groups of no more than four people in public.
  • For home visits, a maximum of three people from another household, and a maximum of three guests per day.
  • Ban on events.
  • A maximum of 30 people is indoors for meetings.
  • Restaurants and bars are closed.
  • No amateur sports for both youth and adults. Changing rooms and sports canteens will be closed.
  • A maximum of four people may train together, with the exception of anyone under 18 years old.
  • Weddings may have a maximum of 30 guests.
  • At a funeral, a maximum of 100 people are allowed inside and 250 people outside.
  • Ban on sale of soft drugs and alcohol after 8 p.m.
  • From that point on, there is also a prohibition on consuming or possessing soft drugs or alcohol in public.

Lockdown

A lockdown may be necessary if the coronavirus spread exceeds what is manageable under the level 4 restrictions. In that case,

  • A maximum of two people may go out.
  • No home visits, stay home.
  • Meetings are not allowed.
  • There are no events.
  • A maximum of 30 people may be present at weddings.
  • Bars and restaurants are closed.
  • Indoor sports are prohibited. A maximum of two people may exercise together at a distance outside.
  • Changing rooms at sports clubs will be closed.
  • Only necessary travel at home and abroad.
  • At a funeral, a maximum of 100 people are allowed inside and 250 people outside.
  • Education in MBO, HBO, and WO online only.

What do you think of the cabinet’s new roadmap? Do you think these measures will be effective? Let us know in the comments below.

Feature Image: United Nations/Unsplash

COVID-19 infection rates rise fastest amongst the elderly

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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0
COVID-19 infection rates rise fastest amongst the elderly

As coronavirus cases continue to rise across the Netherlands, the elderly are being hit the hardest. 

Of those who tested positive for coronavirus last week, 19% were above the age of 60. Whilst the majority of positive cases remain to be found in people in their twenties — accounting for one in every five infections — the age group with the fastest growth rate are those above 60.

In September, the elderly made up 10% of coronavirus infections. Now, in October, that percentage has almost doubled.

Majority of hospitalisations

The Netherlands saw how severe the virus is for the elderly in the first wave of the pandemic. This remains the case during the second wave.

Of those hospitalised in the past week, admission rates for those above 60 were four times more than average, and they made up 98% of deaths. RTL Nieuws reports that the elderly currently make up the bulk of hospitalisations and deaths from the virus.

Young people’s share goes down

Whilst the infection rate amongst the elderly rises, younger people’s share in infections has dropped. In September, people in their twenties accounted for one-third of positive cases in the Netherlands.

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Feature Image: DutchReview/Canva

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