Yesterday evening, hundreds of Willem II supporters gathered in a square in Tilburg to watch the match against Rangers FC. Theo Wetering, the mayor of Tilburg, allowed this gathering which videos show did not adhere to coronavirus measures at all.
In the video below, you’ll see the fans huddled up close, singing and yelling with no masks on at all. Some were even throwing fireworks, reports NU.nl.
Fans were banned from watching the game live at the Koning Willem II Stadium on the Goirleseweg in Tilburg, for the purpose of keeping coronavirus measures. But the municipality gave permission for a large screen to be set up in the square, so that up to 1000 fans could watch the game together. They were given instructions to keep a safe distance, but of course it did not take long for the rowdy bunch to group together.
Despite the fans’ behaviour — which presented an obvious coronavirus risk — Wetering defended his decision, saying, “If you don’t allow it, you run the risk that supporters will manifest themselves in different places in the city. By having them watch the game together in a square, it is all easier to control and enforce it. It was a conscious choice.”
Losses and lessons
In the end though, the mayor admits that the gathering was for nothing as the Tilburg team lost 0-4 to the Scottish club Rangers FC and are now out of the tournament.
“With the knowledge of now and the information we still get from the police, we will certainly look back next week, evaluate and draw our lessons,” Wetering told Omroep Brabant.
A rapid testing street has been set up in Utrecht by UMC researchers. It is a trial test street where people will undergo both a normal corona test and a rapid test. The researchers want to see how reliable a rapid test is.
Normally, coronavirus tests involve the testing of a person’s genetic material. This is called a PRC test, and it is used to test for the genetic material of the virus. Researchers use this test because it is the most likely to pick up on the coronavirus even if it is only slightly present in the body.
However, the problem with PRC testing is the time it takes to receive a result. The process through which the result is received takes an average of 5 hours. With the GGD under immense pressure at the moment, research into rapid testing is needed. A rapid test only takes 15 minutes to yield a result.
Rapid testing
It is hoped by researchers that a rapid test can be used to determine quickly whether or not a person definitely has the virus. If a person has large amounts of the virus within their body, then they will test positive. If the result is unclear or it is believed the person was exposed to coronavirus but they tested negative — then they will still receive the PRC test.
The type of rapid testing being used by researchers in Utrecht is an antigen test. The test looks for a specific protein that is present in the coating of the virus.
The test acts like a pregnancy test, patients are swabbed as with the PRC test, but droplets from the collected sample are then placed on a USB-like device. A patch on the device will then turn a certain colour if the coronavirus protein is present.
Hopeful that rapid testing can be used
Experts are hopeful about the use of rapid testing. It is already known that rapid tests are less sensitive to the virus but it is believed they will still help. The test street in Utrecht is hoping to determine from where it is best to collect a sample. The research is expected to last for three weeks.
Today will begin with some showers on the west coast but will be mostly sunny, with temperatures remaining below 11 degrees. Later in the day, rain will move over the south of the Netherlands, with strong gusts of wind in the southwest.
The maximum temperature for today will be a chilly 14 degrees, reports Buienradar. Whilst the strongest rains will be in the south, scatters of showers will drizzle over other parts of the Netherlands too this evening. In South Holland and Zeeland, you might want to keep the shutters closed, as winds will reach 100 kilometres per hour this evening.
The weekend
No, not the singer. Temperatures on Saturday will reach a high of 16 degrees, with bursts of sun and rain taking turns in true Dutch fashion. Sunday may see some heavier rains, but once again the weather will be a bit indecisive with sun and rain interchanging throughout the day. The maximum temperature on Sunday will be around 14 degrees.
Next week
Maximum temperatures in the coming week will rise a little to around 17 degrees, and the sun is set to show her face a little more, although showers of rain will be visiting too. But Monday doesn’t seem to be joining the party, and will be quite rainy.
The RIVM has reported 16 new deaths from coronavirus. These numbers have not been so high since the end of May.
This follows a sharp increase in the number of coronavirus cases throughout the Netherlands, with 2,359 new infections reported yesterday. They also reported 25 new hospital admissions.
The beginning of June saw similar daily numbers ranging between 13 and 15, but never as high as 16. These new numbers only confirm that the Netherlands is entering a second wave of the coronavirus.
Number of deaths higher than reported
It is expected that the number of deaths and admissions may be higher than reported. This is due to backlogs at the GGD which can lead to up to a week’s delay.
Given that these numbers may therefore be from last week, and this week saw a spike in the number of admissions and cases, the number of deaths is likely to be higher than the figures reported by the RIVM.
Randstad holds the highest number of infections
Areas of the Randstad, particularly Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam, continue to have the highest numbers of new corona cases. Amsterdam saw 247 new cases, whilst The Haag saw 137 and Rotterdam 243.
Experts believe the only way to prevent the continuing spread of coronavirus across the Netherlands is through a nationwide approach to measures.
At the moment, the government is implementing measures at a regional level. Last Friday, PM Rutte and Minister of Health, Hugo de Jonge, announced new measures for six regions of the Netherlands.
However, this week has seen a continued sharp increase in the number of coronavirus cases across the Netherlands. Experts are coming forward to say that they believe the only way to prevent the further spread of coronavirus is through the implementation of nationwide measures.
Nationwide measures instead of regional
Regional measures were implemented so as to prevent a low-risk area from having to lock down to the same extent as high-risk areas. However, experts claim the virus is spreading too fast for this to work.
One expert to come forward is epidemiologist Hans Heesterbeek of Utrecht University. Heesterbeek believes that unless Dutch citizens drastically change their behaviour, strict nationwide measures will be the only solution.
“If we stick to the ground rules, we will prevent the government from having to intervene extra. So keep your distance, avoid crowds and large meetings, do not go to work if symptoms are present, and so on. Wearing masks in busy public spaces where keeping a distance is difficult, such as shops, could also be part of this,” he tells AD.nl.
While the hope is that strict measures won’t have to be implemented, he does believe nationwide measures are necessary. He says that people are moving too frequently between high and low-risk areas for Rutte’s new measures to be effective. “The virus is spreading from the Randstad like an oil slick. You can’t solve that with regional measures. People travel a lot from one region to another. You see too much mixing for regional measures to be effective.”
No way of measuring risk
In agreement with Heesterbeek is Bart Berden, director of the Elisabeth-TweeSteden Hospital in Tilburg. Berden believes the virus is spreading too quickly for the regional measures to be effective. On top of this, delayed testing prevents regions from knowing how high-risk they truly are.
“It is going so fast now. How useful is it to take a regional approach when you see that regions are growing closer in terms of contamination figures? In addition, there is currently a shortage of testing capacity. It is therefore difficult to determine exactly where you stand as a region.”
He points to Tilburg as an example, the hospital has already started taking patients from hospitals in the Randstad yet the region remains more flexible than other high-risk areas. “It is not logical that the measures in our own region are more flexible than in the rest of the Netherlands.”
What do you think of the regional measures? Let us know in the comments below!
In an interview with NU.nl, Edwin Boel, project leader of the National Coordination Team Diagnostic Chain (LCDK), admitted they were surprised by the increased demand for coronavirus tests that we have seen over the past few months.
Boel explained that they are racing to enlarge test capacity across the nation before winter. But already the Netherlands is facing vast shortages, as people often have to travel over 100 kilometres for a test, and results can take days. The current demand for coronavirus tests is 38,000 per day, but the current capacity is only 28,000 tests per day.
International shortage
Boel blames the lack of capacity on the international shortage of testing materials. “The main cause is the same as always: because there is a lot of testing internationally, there is a scarcity of materials. We have a lot of machine capacity, but there is a shortage of test material. We are now getting additional materials, but at the same time we also see that demand has increased considerably. We continue to work with scarcity.”
Bridging the gaps
By October, the organisation predicts they will need a testing capacity of 50,000 per day to meet demands. Boel assures that by the end of October, they will have enough machines and materials for 70,000.
By February, Boel plans to have a capacity of 85,000 tests in a day. He explains that they are making contracts with various laboratories and that the Ministry of Health are supporting a number of innovative projects. These projects hope to create testing systems that do not rely on materials from major international manufacturers.
Criticism over lab management
Some have accused the organisation of taking too long to reach out to larger commercial laboratories for help. Boel argues that in the beginning, the focus was on understanding the virus, and so tests were limited to medical laboratories at the RIVM and Erasmus MC. Thirteen other laboratories were then added once information was becoming clearer. Since then, they have been cautiously expanding.
Boel explains that test demands went down drastically over the summer, and GGDs were preparing for an increase in Autumn. But when demand spiked again in August it came sooner than expected, and testing sites were not prepared.
This time, LCDK plans to be fully prepared for the increases that will surely come with winter. Boel says it is impossible to go from zero to maximum capacity quickly, but that they are doing everything they can to meet the 85,000 goal by February.
What do you think of the LCDK’s management of coronavirus tests? Let us know in the comments below.
Release of the CoronaMelder app, originally set to be available for widespread use in August, is now postponed again. The government says the earliest it may be ready is mid-October.
The hold-up seems to be with a sitting bill in the Senate regarding privacy laws. “The app has been technically ready since the beginning of August but it is now on the shelf,” one of the app makers told NOS.
A vote on the new law will take place on October 6 at the earliest. Then, it will take another week or more before legal paperwork is squared away. If additional questions arise from the Senate, the process may take longer.
Government hold-up
App developers worked long and hard to have it ready on time and completed it in an impressively short amount of time. “We worked for a long time, also on weekends and evenings, holidays have been postponed,” says app maker Jelle Prins.
The tech side of the operation is disappointed in the delay after all of their effort, but doesn’t wish to blame the government. However, those involved say it was clear from the beginning that legal substantiation would be necessary. App makers question why the Ministry of Health had not foreseen the slow parliamentary process.
Another oddity of the government’s response is that this particular app is under such scrutiny, while privacy is less of a concern in other areas. Developers say the app is “very well boarded up.” And in addition to keeping data secure, everyone remains anonymous, and the virus can be well-traced.
The app is available for download now in the App Store and Play Store. Developers encourage people to download it so they can begin to map encounters.
What do you think of the legal hold-ups with the corona app? Let us know in the comments!
B-List Dutch celebrities are starting to see sense following backlash over their “ikdoenietmeermee” videos and statements on social media. The anti-corona measures movement became a trending topic this week following multiple posts by Dutch celebs.
In the middle of all this drama was the Dutch singer Famke Louise, who wrote a controversial anti-corona measure statement on instagram this Monday. “The longer we live in corona time, the more I am convinced that the measures and all their consequences are worse than the ailment,” she wrote.
The caption was followed by the hashtag “ikdoenietmeermee” which roughly translates to “I don’t do this anymore” — referencing corona measures. This was especially controversial given the new surge in coronavirus cases.
“I do not support this message anymore.”
Following the backlash, multiple B-list celebrities have started to take back their support of the “ikdoenietmeermee” movement — including Famke.
The singer wrote that Monday was “not my best day” and she hopes to educate herself further on the virus. “I thought I could make a difference, but I now realize the seriousness of making unfounded statements. I’m looking for someone who specializes in pandemics to educate me, to talk about this situation and perhaps with me onstage.”
Famke is not alone in retracting her statement, with other small celebrities such as Bizzey, Tim Douwsma and Mental Theo also retracting their support for the hashtag.
How do you feel about “ikdoenietmeermee”? Let us know in the comments below!
Learning and pronouncing Dutch names can be a struggle. “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose would smell as sweet” — a statement that has stood the test of time.
A name doesn’t necessarily tell me everything about who you are or where you’re from (or whether or not your hips lie, just look at my name.) 💃
Yet, you see a Starbucks cup with the name “Harry” on it and say “So you’re basically real-life Harry Potter!” (Harry Styles also comes to mind).
You meet a Belinda and start humming along to “Me and my wife called, ‘Pretty Belinda, pretty Belinda, pretty Belinda…”
You read an article written by “Shaakira” and think, well, there’s a wealth of things people ask me based on my name alone. Some original and some not so much but all of them chuckle-worthy.
I can barely remember the anonymity I experienced before “Hips don’t lie” came out, and as a teenager hearing this song every morning, noon and night — the song was overplayed at that but no ones seemed to mind. I had no idea the effect it would have on my name in the years to come.
Skip ahead 13 years later and people will still hit me with “so…do your hips lie?”
There is already a great guide to Dutch female names, so here’s how to master the pronunciation of Dutch male names.
Culture shock: Dutch names
Dutch names can be really tricky for internationals. Image: Robin Higgins/Pixabay
When I moved to the Netherlands, I realised there was something I had thought about when it came to assimilating into society: names!
Now, as someone who understands the importance a name, I in fact pride myself on being good at remembering names. I was surprised when an incredibly tall colleague introduced themselves to me and, instead of hearing and repeating his name, “Koen”, I heard and thus repeated “Cool”.
It’s funny now, but at the time I was so overwhelmed trying to meet everyone else in the room that repeating “Cool” and having Koen trying to correct me was mildly mortifying.
This proceeded to happen more than once in my first few weeks in the Netherlands. I struggled over different Dutch names and remember remarking to a friend that, honestly, I could not understand why I was struggling with them so much! Apparently this is heel normaal.
Learning and pronouncing Dutch male names
Below are some of the common Dutch male names that I’ve noted throughout my stint here in the Netherlands:
Timo
Is this a version of the name Tim? Or is it a name of an exotic place that was appropriated by pronouncing it with a Dutch accent?
Job
Now I am certain there is some wonderful Dutch heritage behind this name (also there is a biblical reference) but in English of course ‘a job’ is where you work… maybe your parents naming you this was a way of ensuring your future financial success? Or perhaps it’s ironic; knowing that you might hate having said job and aspire to be a house-husband? Look, I don’t know your life, all I can do is guess… 🤷♂️
Jordy
Okay, this is just a classic English name that the Dutch stole, but the make it their own by pronouncing the “J” like a “Y”.
Jeroen
Now, this is a great Dutch name but I can imagine in an English or American accent it sounds very interesting. Is it the Dutch version of Jeremy? Or maybe Jimmy? Really rolls off the tongue either way…
Learning to pronounce Dutch names takes hard work. Image: Free-Photos/Pixabay
Joost
This name boggles my mind because it’s also quite an Afrikaans name. It’s spelt the exact same in Afrikaans but pronounced differently. Different accents make your name sound cute, but I’m sure “Joost” (NL: /Yow-st/) would not appreciate me calling him “Joost” (SA: /Yooo-st/).
Jelle
Even the appearance of this name in the list gives me anxiety that I will mess up the pronunciation. Because I have, many times. I was never quite sure how to pronounce it until I received some guidance: Apparently, you don’t pronounce it “Jel”, or “Jelly” but in fact more of a “Yelluh”.
Koen
The Dutch version of the name “Cool”. Refer above.
Mathijs
The Dutch version of the name Matthew. Matt. Matty.
Michiel
Michael of course. Or maybe the Dutch version of the French male name, Michele — we may never know for sure.
Jan
John (Basically like John Legend)
Niels
Neil (Yes, like Neil Diamond).
Pieter
The Dutch version of the name Peter, but not to be confused with “Peter” (longer “e” sound: /pay-ter/). Peter was obviously a popular name at some point and like all popular names, someone has to spell theirs uniquely (Eg: Megan, Meegan, Meghan etc.)
I feel that there are less traditional Dutch female names but this is probably just me being biased. Let’s recognise Dutch names for what they are — cool — I mean KOEN!
There are so many more unique Dutch names. Have you struggled with any names during your time in the Netherlands? Drop them in the comments below!
Editor’s Note: This image was originally published in June 2019, and was fully updated in February 2021 for your reading pleasure. Feature Image: Free-Photos/Pixabay
Dutch company Janssen Vaccines has entered into its large-scale coronavirus testing phase.
Janssen is a subsidiary of the larger US company, Johnson & Johnson (so, Johnson, Johnson & Janssen?) The company has been developing the vaccine in Leiden, and testing has begun on 60,000 volunteers in the United States, South Africa, and parts of South America, reports NOS. It’s one of six vaccines that have been reserved for development by the EU.
Either the vaccine or a placebo will be distributed among participants aged 18 and older in countries where the virus is particularly prominent. The testing will show whether the vaccine has the intended result, and what any side effects may be.
Next steps
This is considered the third phase of testing, and several other companies have also reached this phase. Results will not be released until early next year, but if they are favourable Janssen will be ready — the company has already begun producing the vaccine. Negotiations are taking place regarding 200 – 400 million vaccines to be made available to the EU next year.
An additional study will be taking place in the UK, where the company plans to administer a double dose of the vaccine to volunteers.
Would you volunteer for the coronavirus vaccine trial? Let us know in the comments!
