During this quarantine, some of us might feel inclined to do something we’ve been postponing for too long. That is, going up in the attic or garage and sorting out through all the dust and cobwebs and long-forgotten objects.
Be it a spring clean or a quarantine clean, looking through old stuff is always bound to give you some surprises. You can imagine then, the surprise and shock of a woman who ended up finding a stash of ecstasy pills in an old puzzle box, reports RTL Nieuws.
What is known so far is that four years ago, a woman received the puzzle box through her mail, without any sender listed. Not knowing what to do with it, the woman put the box in her garage.
Four years later, with quarantine cleaning on her mind, the woman started to sort out through objects in her garage. In the unsuspecting puzzle box of Disney’s ‘Planes 2’ film, she found not only the jigsaw pieces, but also 530 ecstasy pills.
It is not known who the sender is and the police have since started an investigation.
When students living together in student houses exit their rooms and enter the public, they are immediately ordered to return home by the police, and are threatened with fines. But since they live together, they are technically adhering to the rules. Are they at fault?
Keeping a distance of 1.5 meters is the golden rule in today’s day and age. The advice, however, doesn’t apply to members of the same family who are living together — or to households in general for that matter, since those that live together are in close contact with each other all the time.
Thus, they are allowed to take walks together or sit outside in closer proximity. But what about in the case of student houses, where 15 or more live together and share bathroom and shower facilities, as well as cooking areas? This is the case in facilities such as the IBB housing complex in Utrecht run by the student housing provider SSH. Theoretically, this should be possible, RTLNieuws reports.
Students at the IBB complex of Utrecht watching a football match outside (in the pre-corona era) (source: Meral van Leeuwen)
Public condemnation and outcry
These groups often receive condemnation from the public, although they aren’t necessarily doing anything wrong by being together outside since they live together. But last Thursday, 17 residents of the Uilenstede student housing complex in Amstelveen were each fined €390 for sitting and talking outside, according to RTLNieuws.
and stated explicitly that “student units were NOT included.”
“De niet van tafel of bed gescheiden echtgenoot, geregistreerde partner of andere levensgezel en ouders, grootouders of kinderen.” Studenten die wonen op een unit of eenheid vallen hier NIET onder. Wij zullen hier tegen optreden maar vooral in de OPENBARE ruimte. #COVID19NL
In some student houses, there isn’t a backyard, a balcony or even a common space, points out Daan Roovers, the chairman of SSH. Roovers has written to the mayor Utrecht asking for clarity on the situation.
The case for considering student houses as one household
Students are in a particularly vulnerable position during this crisis. For one, they live at the same address (sounds like a household, right) and can’t apply for rent subsidies, which many of them are in need of since most work flexible hospitality jobs to cover rent and living. They’re also living away from home (particularly those internationals) and therefore could especially vulnerable to mental health issues such as loneliness and depression.
If the measures continue for months, it could have severe consequences on them. So would it really be that bad if their unit was considered a household?
Should student units be included as “households?” Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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The RIVM has published the latest numbers on the coronavirus in the Netherlands. As of today, Tuesday, April 14, there are a total of 27,419 cases in the country with 868 new cases. There are also 210 new hospitalisations and 122 new deaths reported.
The numbers for hospitalisations and mortality are a bit higher than yesterday, and that was more or less expected as Tuesday usually sees a hike in stats due to delayed reporting from the weekend. IC-units are also freeing up, here is yesterday’s number:
The number of cases in the Netherlands continues to rise, as the police are giving out fines left and right to people breaking social distancing measures.
700,000 euros worth of fines given over the past weekend
With good weather and an extended weekend, it was not unexpected that people would go out during this Easter break. Nevertheless, people must still respect the necessary distance imposed by social distancing measures.
The police was busy over this weekend handing out fines to people not respecting the rules, raking up an impressive 700,000 euros worth of fines. We hope that the money is put to good use in tackling the coronavirus outbreak.
The Dutch have a longstanding tradition of going to mind-numbing-DIYstores and 'meubel boulevards' on Easter Monday. On behalf of the country we would like to apologize for this 🙊 #SocialDistancing#StayAtHomepic.twitter.com/SBH33gEfr5
The tulip fields are in full bloom and filled with vibrant colours. Sadly, people are flocking to witness this beauty of nature.
To dissuade visitors from coming, some owners of the fields have ended up cutting down the tulip bulbs. While this is a saddening decision, it is necessary to do so in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus even further.
As the outbreak has affected people’s jobs and incomes, the purpose of this measure is to protect those who are financially vulnerable due to the situation. Requests have also been made to cancel all evictions for the time being.
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A crowdfunding campaign for Leiden University has raised over half a million euros for research on coronavirus in just a month.
We are very happy with the donations, says Eric Snijder, a professor of molecular virology at LUMC. The money will be invested in research as soon as possible, according to NOS.
Traditional methods of acquiring funds for such initiatives takes years. However, a crowdfunding campaign speeds up the process in that it minimises the time needed for approval and paperwork.
About the project
The project, #Wakeuptocorona at the Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) has been set up to “characterise this virus in detail and test potential virus inhibitors and vaccine candidates,” according to the campaign. More than 2 million euros is needed in total to carry out the project successfully.
Funding research is so vital right now that universities are starting crowdfunding campaigns in order to have direct access to the funds! You can donate to the LUMC fund right here: https://t.co/VdQg6Y6scx#wakeuptocorona
Currently, several laboratories in the Netherlands are working on research into coronavirus. The LUMC has a lab, and would like to set up a second one for the purposes listed above.
Happy to help
“I get the impression that people are happy to be able to contribute to something,” says Snijder. Many of the comments on the page demonstrated enthusiasm for the project — some do-gooders donated money during Easter, since not much can be done during the holidays given the circumstances. Others donated since corona has hit them or their families hard.
Everyone can relate to the efforts on some level. You can find out more or donate yourself at the crowdfunding website.
Unfortunately, despite the serious situation that we are in due to the coronavirus crisis, some people still aren’t behaving accordingly.
Even worse, a group of 12 local law enforcers (BOAs) were attacked yesterday in Rotterdam, as they were trying to administrate social distancing measures, reports RTL Nieuws.
Street fight
The event occurred around 5:40 PM yesterday, when two boas stopped a group of six young people because they were breaking social distancing rules.
Right afterwards, 14 other young people showed up and started a brawl with the boas. The law enforcers pressed an emergency button, bringing 10 more boas at the scene.
It took the police around 10 minutes to arrive at the scene, with the boas having to defend themselves in the meantime.
Treatment at hospital
Two of the boas had to be treated at the hospital for their injuries. One of them even had to go through surgery as he had a ruptured Achilles tendon. Another one had one of his fingers dislocated.
The other colleagues have returned home, but are in a state of understandable shock. The police managed to arrest two of the youth, but the rest managed to escape.
Spike in violence
Erik Lankeman of the Dutch BOA association has said that little attention has been given towards violence against boas, which has only increased since the coronavirus outbreak.
The boas have requested the Minister of Justice and Security for access to defence, for instance, by being armed. This, however, has been opposed by the police.
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This weekend (Friday-Monday), the police issued 1800 fines for people who were violating the coronavirus measures in place.
The fines were imposed on people who were in groups exceeding three people, and who did not keep a distance of 1,5 meters, according to RTLNieuws. The police note that the fines do not give a complete image of the situation as a whole — many people were outside.
According to a tweet (see below), that means €700,000 worth in fines. Perhaps that’s not so bad considering the state of the economy.
De enigste voordeel van die 1800 #coronaboetes, is dat er ruim 700.000 euro in 1 weekend voor de Overheids Schatkist verdiend is.
En gezien deze crisistijd is dit een goeie zaak.
— Driss AKA🤜 Pedro Gonzalis (@Original___G) April 13, 2020
To put it into perspective, prior to last weekend, 1400 fines were issued for a full week-and-a-half.
Warm weather
The past weekend was the warmest it has been this far in the Netherlands, with temperatures climbing to over 23 C. With limited activities to partake in during coronavirus, people are spending more time outdoors. Furthermore, RTLNieuws reports that many young people were seen in groups.
Tulip bulbs cut to dissuade visitors
Tulip bulbs are to be cut in order to prevent the colour in the fields and deter visitors, who, despite warnings, barriers and road blocks, found their way to admire and awe at the fields.
It should be noted that measures are put into place for a reason and should still be adhered to regardless of age, or weather.
The current coronavirus outbreak brings about another big uncertainty besides health concerns, namely the economic aspect. As businesses cut costs, people get laid off and it becomes exceedingly difficult to pay rent as well as cover other basic utilities.
In this context, some political parties consider that not enough is being done at the moment to protect tenants, reports RTL Nieuws. They are therefore proposing to freeze rent in order to allow for greater protection of tenants. Rent freezing involves not allowing rental prices to rise for a period of time.
Debate on freezing rent
PvdA, SP, and GroenLinks are the main political parties backing up the concept of freezing rent, as well as not allowing tenants to be evicted during this period of time.
The House of Representatives will meet tomorrow to debate an emergency law implemented by Minister Stientje van Veldhoven (Environment and Housing), which will allow temporary rental contracts to be extended so that tenants do not risk getting kicked out.
The three political parties mentioned above need to add further amendments to the law and provide even more extensive protection to tenants.
Concerns over loss of income
The primary motivation for the amendments is the concerns that many people who’ve lost their income have. The situation means they are unable to pay rent.
Agreements have already been made by Minister van Veldhoven with housing corporations such as Aedas and investment organizations such as Vastgoed Belang and IVBN, to spare tenants who are in trouble during the coronavirus crisis.
“All housing evictions must be postponed”, iterate MPs Henk Nijboer (PvdA), Sandra Beckerman (SP) and Paul Smeulders (GroenLinks). They’ve also stated that no temporary contract should be cancelled, even in the case that a landowner wishes to demolish his property. And if that is the scenario, the property demolition also needs to be postponed.
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In an attempt to keep people away, flower growers are removing the bulbs from stems as a last-resort measure in order to stop people from flocking to the flower fields and thus limit the spread of coronavirus.
Warm weather rising above the 20s last week meant the whole country seemingly stepped outside, despite the restrictions in place. Large crowds gathered in Bollenstreek, a region in the west of the Netherlands that is notorious for its flower bulbs.
Warnings to stay away, barriers placed on the perimeters and closed roads did not deter eager spectators.
Gisteren was het veel te druk in de Bollenstreek, ondanks het verzoek om niet te komen. De Bollenstreek zal daarom de Paasdagen gedeeltelijk toegankelijk zijn. Wegen tussen bollenvelden zijn ❌ afgesloten. Dit geldt niet voor bewoners. Doorgaande wegen zijn niet afgesloten. pic.twitter.com/ur8fsNFMS3
So, as a last resort, or as the Dutch say, a “horse remedy,” the flower heads are to cut, removing those vibrant colours from the fields, according to omroepwest.nl.
“The last thing you want is a mini coronavirus outbreak,” says grower Simon Pennings from Noordwijkerhout.
Risk of financial damage
Pennings explains that flowers need to be thoroughly inspected before growers can cut the heads, as a certificate ensuring that the flowers are healthy and in good condition is necessary. However, because the flowers were de-headed sooner, the inspection was not carried out and can therefore not be exported to as many countries.
Health is the priority
Despite the financial risk, Pennings did not hesitate much. “Health is the most important thing now,” he says. “It may cost us money, but you don’t want the Bulb region to be in the news the way it was over the past few days.”
The RIVM has published the latest count of coronavirus cases in the Netherlands for today: there are 86 new deaths, bringing the total to 2823. There are 147 new hospitalisations. And an additional 964 cases of coronavirus were registered, leaving us with a confirmed total of 26.551.
As always, we should say that these figures may not be wholly accurate. There is often a delay in reporting deaths and hospitalisations at individual hospitals. By Tuesday each week, the totals for the week before for these numbers are accurate. Furthermore, the Netherlands is not testing members of the public with mild symptoms, so the total number of coronavirus cases is likely much higher than the reported number. The numbers do show a trend though, hence why we keep reporting on them.
ICU beds
One of the most important figures to pay attention to is the number of people in the ICU. As of yesterday, there were 1358 people in the ICU, well under the reserved capacity of 1900. The number of people needing intensive care had also fallen by 33, compared to the day before.
Dutch companies develop software to diagnose coronavirus via X-ray
Some positive news today, as two Dutch companies, Thirona and Delft Imaging, have developed a software that analyses the damage to someone’s lungs as shown on an X-ray, and uses a 100-point scale to determine whether the patient has coronavirus. This will be especially useful in poorer countries which do not have as much access to laboratory testing as wealthier countries.
Some nice things to read on Easter Monday
This might not be the Easter Monday we were all hoping for a couple of months ago, but it can still be a lovely day. We’re planning to spend it inside, with some chocolate and a few good reads. If you’re looking for some inspiration with regard to some articles, here are our favourites from the last few months (Corona-free, we promise).
You might think that Costa Rica and the Netherlands have absolutely nothing in common, but that’s not actually the case. From land mass to the amount of rain, the countries actually have quite a lot that’s comparable.
In these times, even local tourism is a bad idea, but there’s no reason not to plan your next trip for when the corona times come to an end. Zierikzee is an incredibly historic Dutch village, well worth being added to your bucket list.
I don’t know about you guys, but I have spent a lot of time thinking about food lately. So instead of convincing yourself you need your fourth snack of the hour, read about the ways international cuisine is changing Dutch food.
Two Dutch companies, Thirona and Delft Imaging, are working on technology which could help doctors to diagnose coronavirus through x-ray imagery.
This is expected to be especially helpful in poorer countries, where laboratory testing and CT scans (which are currently being used in wealthy countries to test for and track the progress of coronavirus) are not as widespread. The technology Thirona and Delft Imaging are developing is based on techniques used to diagnose tuberculosis.
How does the software work?
The software works analysing the damage to someone’s lungs that shows up on an X-ray and rating it on a scale of 0 to 100. This rating allows doctors to determine whether the source of the problem is coronavirus. It could also be used as the first step in the diagnostic process, allowing doctors to determine whether a patient needs to be tested in the first place, NL Times reports.
Crucial technology for poorer countries
At the moment, the SARS-COV-19 lab test is still the only approved method for conclusively establishing whether someone is infected with coronavirus. The new software could prove crucial in poorer countries, where access to CT scans and labs is limited. According to the developers in an interview with ANP, “Many of the measures we have implemented in Europe and the United States are difficult to copy in Africa.”
