At the press conference on Wednesday, Minister de Jonge mentioned 1700 as the number of ICU beds he wanted available, as a condition for relaxing the lockdown. But according to experts, that’s not going to be possible, RTL Nieuws reports.

During the coronavirus crisis, the Netherlands was able to make the massive leap from its usual 1150 intensive care unit beds to 2200. However, the latter number is not sustainable- it was the result of an emergency situation.

ICU nurses put in charge of double their usual number of patients

Nurses, surgical assistants and anaesthesiologists had to be drafted in from other departments to reach that number over the past weeks. Nurses were put in charge of 3-4 patients, when they would usually only be caring for two.

Extra ICU staff need to go back to original departments

Now, however, these extra staff need to go back to their old departments, because treatment for non-coronavirus patients cannot be delayed any longer. That means that the ICUs are back to their original staff number, which is 3800. If there are to be 1700 ICU beds, there need to be at least 1650 extra ICU nurses added.

Training an ICU nurse takes at least 18 months

This is not a simple matter: an ICU nurse is usually trained for 18 months on top of their usual nursing qualification. Accordingly, the Netherlands could not provide extra ICU nurses in under a year and a half.

You can follow DutchReview on Facebook for more updates about coronavirus in the Netherlands. 

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Yesterday, the Dutch cabinet announced the latest coronavirus measures. Although rules are set to relax starting May 11, large-scale public events will not be permitted until a vaccine exists.

Although the cabinet still has to make a decision about the status of major events and whether or not they can be organised after September 1, it was revealed for instance, that football matches will take place after that date, but without an audience, NOS reports.

Uncertainty still looms

In a letter by the cabinet, Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport Hugo de Jonge states that it is still unclear when large-scale events with an audience will be permitted once more.

Furthermore, the minister said that although the hope is that a vaccine will be developed soon, in reality it could take a year at the least.

As of now, much uncertainty is still in the air, and the exact way in which large-scale events will be permitted is still unclear, but hopefully more will be revealed in the weeks to come.

For the most recent news on coronavirus, be sure to follow DutchReview on Facebook.  

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In an effort to curb unnecessary travel by train, the NS has decided to implement some new measures.

Starting from next Tuesday, people will no longer be allowed to bring bicycles on trains, reports RTL Nieuws.

Trains are not for social outings

The reason for this new policy is to ensure that people keep train travel for when it’s only strictly necessary.

Besides not allowing bicycles anymore, the Fietskaart Dal (for bringing bikes on trains) cannot be purchased either. However, people who have adapted bikes (for example, people with physical disabilities) will still be allowed to bring them on the train.

Also cancelled are the group discounts, as a way of preventing large groups of people from getting on the trains.

These are all temporary measures which will be ended once the coronavirus crisis passes.

 Overcrowded train stopped in Weesp

This morning, an overcrowded train heading to Amsterdam Centraal was stopped in Weesp, reports AT5. It was stopped because there were so many people it was impossible to respect the social distancing measures.

Police had to intervene as some passengers refused to get off the train. It eventually departed at 8:00 AM, but not before causing delays with other trains, as one would typically expect.

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As the Netherlands prepares to start-up businesses after two months of intelligent lockdown, 455 new cases of coronavirus have been reported in the last 24-hours. That bring the Dutch grand total to 41,774 cases. 

Meanwhile, a further 39 people have landed in the hospital, and sadly 84 new deaths have been reported. Today marks 5,288 confirmed deaths as a result of coronavirus.

While today’s numbers are slightly higher than yesterday, RIVM says social distancing measures continue to have the desired effect.

Face masks to be mandatory on trains

From June 1, public transport will return to its normal schedule. However, there are conditions, such as a new requirement to wear a non-medical mask. Furthermore, only 40% of seats will be available.

Transport companies have insisted upon this measure is that it is close to impossible to keep 1.5 meters of distance in buses and trains.

Hairdressers and non-contact sports will be allowed again on May 11

In the coming weeks, hairdressers will begin to open (starting May 11), as well as nail studios. Like other contact professions, these two will only be permitted if there is an appointment in place.

Furthermore, non-contact sports such as tennis and golf will be permitted once more, though any matches or tournaments are still out of question.

Lastly (as was previously announced), primary schools are expected to open on Monday, while secondary schools will open their doors on June 2. Terraces may also open around then, with a maximum of 10 people permitted.

Coronavirus tests for all from 1 June — is that actually possible?

At last night’s press conference, Health Minister de Jonge said that the government was aiming to be able to test anyone with coronavirus symptoms from 1 June onwards. That sounds good, but is it actually possible?

In order for normal life to resume, there needs to be aa vaccine. But living with coronavirus in the meantime necessitates a much higher testing capacity than the Netherlands has had until this point. If everyone with coronavirus symptoms would be tested, that would require 30,000 tests per day.

7 million Dutchies are already planning a holiday

New data from NBTC-NIPO Research shows that 7.2 million Dutch people say they will still go on holiday this year. Last year, before the world ground to a halt, 11.9 million Dutch people were planning a trip. 

But, not everyone is packing their bags. The corona crisis has not only caused travel restrictions and flight cancellations but a lot of uncertainty. “In many cases, there is a desire to let the holiday continue at a later time,” says Politiek. 

What do the experts have to say about the easing of the intelligent lockdown?

The Dutch government announced a gradual relaxation of the coronavirus distancing measures last night. As the Netherlands whirrs and hums its way to a new start, experts are relatively positive about the easing of lockdown measures. Find out more about their thoughts. 

How the Netherlands is relaxing coronavirus rules: a step-by-step plan

In yesterday’s press conference, Minister de Jonge announced we would not be rid of coronavirus until a vaccine was made available, so we have to work on living with the virus for the moment. It is crucial that everyone sticks to the rules.

May 11, May 18, June 1, June 15, July 1 and September 1 are all important dates to keep in mind, gradually seeing the easing of measures. Find out more here. 

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The Dutch government announced a gradual relaxation of the coronavirus distancing measures last night. As the Netherlands whirrs and hums its way to a new start, here’s what the experts think about the reopening. 

Like other countries, the Netherlands has been virtually closed for almost two months. Businesses shut their doors, restaurants were reduced to take-away only, and people huddled inside and waited for it all to blow over. Except, they couldn’t — keeping the country closed until a vaccine or treatment for coronavirus is discovered is impossible economically, socially, and politically. 

With the Dutch government planning to increase ICU beds to at least 1700, they know the trade-off they are taking between people’s health and returning to a more ‘normal’ life. Patricia Bruijning, epidemiologist at the UMC Utrecht, thinks that it’s time to relax the measures. 

“The healthcare system can handle it. And there is some room for manoeuvre if the number of infections does increase,” she told NOS. “Moreover, I do not expect the number of infections to decrease further if we waited longer, partly because people then choose to relax more measures themselves.”

“We know that the virus mainly spreads through prolonged, intensive contact in indoor areas. We now go outside more, ventilate more, and are in each other’s space less. This makes the virus less likely to spread.”

Measures will be lifted either officially, or unofficially

Marc Bonten, medical microbiologist and member of the OMT, think it’s a sensible move to continue lifting measures — provided hospital admissions plateau or decrease. “I think a lot has already been relaxed by people’s behaviour,” he explained.  

“The cost is huge and it was not sustainable from a human point of view,” Coretta van Leer, medical microbiologist and virologist at the UMCG said. “The current policy could not be sustained.” She says that the new measures are still cautious and can keep the virus as contained as humanly possible. 

However, Hans Heesterbeek, professor of theoretical epidemiology at Utrecht University, says some of the measures could be improved. While hairdressers are set to reopen, mouth masks will not be mandatory and clients will instead just be questioned about their health. 

“I think mouth masks offer better protection than asking people if they are sick. Suppose I go to the hairdresser without complaints now, but I will get sick tomorrow. Then I would probably be contagious.” But, he agrees that opening the terraces is a fair and relatively safe move. 

Increased Testing

The Dutch approach to testing sick people has been widely criticised by residents. Until the government’s announcement last night, only those with a temperature higher than 39 degrees and breathing difficulty could even call their doctor to ask for a test. 

Now, testing will be gradually increased to contact professions before everyone should be able to be tested from June 1. Why is it a ‘should’? Because OMT member Marc Bonten is concerned that health centres are not yet prepared for it — and that’s not the only issue. “The better we test, the more we can relax,” explains Heesterbeek. “But testing also includes tracing.” 

Criteria to put measures back in place required

But how to open isn’t the only concern — we also need to be clear on how and when measures will be put back in place if needed. “When do we think things are going wrong? When do we intervene again?” asks Heesterbeek. Currently, a region will go back into lockdown if it has more than 50 infections per 100,000 inhabitants every week. Heesterbeek also suggests that instead of looking toward hospital admissions, we need to look for a new indicator. 

Eradication no longer an option

Despite Minister Hugo de Jonge speaking yesterday about “putting out fires” in infection hotspots, Bonten doesn’t think the Dutch policy is moving towards eradicating the virus. “If we want the virus to disappear, we have to apply the handbrake further, not release it.”

Heesterbeek agrees and says that some measures must stay in place until a vaccine is discovered. “Testing is never going to detect all infections.”

What do you think about the latest Dutch coronavirus measures? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

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We know Dutchies love going on holiday — but now it’s been revealed that something like a global pandemic won’t put a damper on those plans. 

New data from NBTC-NIPO Research shows that 7.2 million Dutch people say they will still go on holiday this year. Last year, before the world grinded to a halt, 11.9 million Dutch people were planning a trip. 

Marieke Politiek, director of  NBTC-NIPO Research, isn’t surprised. “Holidays are very important for the Dutch,” says Politiek. “Although many holiday plans for the upcoming summer have been affected by the crisis, almost half of the cases involve postponement and not cancellation.

Where will the Dutch people go? 

Of the 7.2 million, five million are still pinning their hopes on going abroad. Meanwhile, 1.8 million plan to take a safer route and explore more of the Netherlands. The remainder aren’t sure yet where they will go. 

But, not everyone is packing their bags. The corona crisis has not only caused travel restrictions and flight cancellations, but a lot of uncertainty. “In many cases there is a desire to let the holiday continue at a later time,” says Politiek. 

In fact, three-quarters of the Dutch say that the corona crisis has had a major impact on summer holiday plans, particularly when it comes to travelling abroad. 

Will you take a holiday this summer? Why, or why not? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

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At last night’s press conference, Health Minister de Jonge said that the government was aiming to be able to test anyone with coronavirus symptoms from 1 June onwards. That sounds good, but is it actually possible?

In order for normal life to resume, there needs to be aa vaccine. But living with coronavirus in the meantime necessitates a much higher testing capacity than the Netherlands has had until this point. If everyone with coronavirus symptoms would be tested, that would require 30,000 tests per day.

Testing has already increased fourfold in four weeks

According to coronavirus ambassador Feike Sijbesma, De Jonge’s target is ambitious but reachable, especially in light of the Netherlands’ recent increase in testing. “We had perhaps one of the most restrictive test policies in the world with less than 2000 a day five weeks ago. Now we’re at 8,000-9,000 a day. We scaled up by a factor of four in four weeks.”

Testing problems remain

There are still problems in the testing process, however. Although laboratories can generally process tests, there is a lack of testing materials. If that’s ironed out, one problem that remains is that some laboratories will be overworked, and others underworked, because of the uneven spread of the virus across the country.

Contact tracing will also be difficult

Another question that remains is whether the GGD can handle the contact tracing that would be required after someone tests positive— most crucially, whether they can do it quickly enough. Medical microbiologist Marc Bonten emphasised the importance of timing in an interview with NOS.

“If you map all contacts in one day, it is a very effective measure that can also prevent a lot of illness. But if it takes a few days, then some of those contacts may have become infected and maybe already spreading themselves. So if this strategy is chosen then a lot of capacity has to be added. And quickly.”

GGD should be able to increase capacity

But Sijbesma remains hopeful that it can be done. “You can do the math. If we are going to do 30,000 tests a day, and one in ten or twenty tests positive, so a few thousand people, the GGD has to check a few thousand people. The GGD indicates that it can add enough capacity to do this by June.”

Do you think the Dutch government will achieve its goal? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

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This evening, Prime Minister Rutte gave a press conference in which the next stage of the Netherlands’ plan for relaxing social distancing rules was explained.

There was a whole lot of information in this one. We’ve grouped it per date, but it’s very important to note that only those set to occur on 11 May are for sure at this point. The other planned relaxations will only take place if the numbers of deaths, and hospitalisations, and the pressure on the healthcare system, remain low.

Minister de Jonge also said that we would not be rid of coronavirus until a vaccine was made available, so we have to work on living with the virus for the moment. It is crucial that everyone sticks to the rules.

We must get used to the new normal, and instead of using the slogan “Stay Home (Blijf Thus)”, the Dutch government will now use “Avoid Crowds (Vermijd Drukte)”.

The two things that need to be monitored as relaxations take place are the amount of people on the streets, and the pressure on the healthcare system.

11 May onwards

Primary schools will reopen.

All contact professions can also reopen. Customers don’t need to wear facemasks, but they do need to keep 1.5m from each other, which means that not all stools in the hairdressers can be used. Furthermore, hairdressers can only work with customers who have made an appointment, so that they can be asked in advance if they have symptoms connected to coronavirus.

Libraries may reopen.

Sports that are played outside and are non-contact can be played again by anyone, including adults.

Those with contact professions, teachers, and those who work with children can be tested.

18 May onwards

A few more groups will be test-able, such as police officers and public transport operators.

1 June onwards

Everyone can be tested.

On 1 June, public transport will resume its usual services, and wearing a facemask will be compulsory if you travel by bus, tram or train. These don’t need to be medical grade, because of course, ordering people to use surgical masks would create a shortage in the healthcare sector, where they are badly needed.

Terraces can reopen, but with a few conditions. Customers can reserve a table in advance, during which they will be asked if they have coronavirus symptoms (just like if you make an appointment at a hairdresser, for example).

High schools will reopen.

Museums can reopen. So can theatres, cinemas, and so forth, but with certain conditions: only 30 people are allowed in the same room, and they must keep 1.5m from each other.

15 June onwards

MBO education and MBO exams can start up again. A plan will be made to reopen other higher education institutions.

1 July onwards

Group activities with up to 100 people can take place. These include weddings, funerals, and so forth.

Camping sites can reopen, and communal showers and toilets can be used again.

1 September onwards (hopefully)

All sports can happen and gyms can open again. The government is looking into whether gyms can be reopened sooner than this. Saunas and pools will also reopen.

A decision will be made about whether festivals and other public gatherings can continue at this date.

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From June 1, public transport will return to its normal schedule. However, there are conditions. Wearing a non-medical mask. Furthermore, it is expected that more measures will be relaxed in the coming weeks. 

According to NOS, this information will formally be announced to the public in the press conference taking place tonight.

The reason that transport companies have insisted upon this measure is because it is close to impossible to keep 1.5 meters of distance in busses and trains.

Measures to be relaxed gradually

Since March 16, the regular hours of public transport have diminished in order to adhere to the coronavirus measures in place. In theory, it is only individuals in crucial positions (healthcare) that should regularly be commuting.

However, as the number of coronavirus infections in the Netherlands are decreasing, the Cabinet aims to relax some of the measures in place so that society can return (at least slightly) to normal.

However, this will only be the case if coronavirus numbers do not flare up, and the virus continues to decline in the country.

The weeks ahead

The NOS reports that in the coming weeks, hairdressers will begin to open (starting May 11), as well as nail studios. Like other contact professions, these two will only be permitted if there is an appointment in place.

The customer must ensure that they are not infected with the virus.

Although face masks will not be mandatory in such facilities, the 1.5 meter rule must be adhered to. This might mean that businesses would need to reduce their normal quantity of customers.

Furthermore, non-contact sports such as tennis and golf will be permitted once more, though any matches or tournaments are still out of question.

Lastly (as was previously announced), primary schools are expected to open on Monday, while secondary schools will open their doors on June 2. Terraces may also open around then, with a maximum of 10 people permitted.

Do you think it’s too soon to start relaxing measures? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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