• People with chronic respiratory or lung problems who suffer from it so much that they are treated by a pulmonologist.
• Chronic heart patients, who suffer from it so much that they are being treated by a cardiologist.
• People with diabetes who are ill and/or have complications.
• People with kidney disease who need to dialyze or wait for a kidney transplant.
• People with reduced resistance to infection because they take medicines for autoimmune disease and people who have had an organ or stem cell transplant.
• People who do not have a spleen or a spleen that is not functioning and people who have a blood disease.
• People with reduced immune systems because they take immune-reducing medicines.
• Cancer patients during or within three months after chemotherapy and/or radiation.
• People with severe immune disorders for which they need treatment from a doctor.
• People with an HIV infection who are not (yet) being treated by a doctor or with an HIV infection with a CD4 cluster or differentiation 4 number below <200 / mm2.
• People with severe liver disease.
• People who are very overweight (BMI Body Mass Index greater than 40).

What should people who are at higher risk do?

If you belong to one of these risk groups, you need to continue adhering to social distancing rules carefully. Wash your hands frequently, stay at home as much as possible, and keep a 1.5m distance from other people.

Ideally, don’t have visitors, but if you need to have visitors, keep it to the same 1-2 people, and ask them to adhere carefully to the rules as well.

The RIVM also advises you to take some extra measures, such as having your groceries delivered, getting someone else to walk the dog, and to continue working from home. If you have cold symptoms, stay home. If you have difficulty breathing or get a high fever, contact a doctor.

Are children with underlying health conditions at a higher risk?

Children, even those with underlying health conditions, do not seem to be at a higher risk for the virus, with the possible exception of those with diabetes or who are extremely overweight.

You should consult with your family doctor if you have concerns about your child going back to school when they reopen on May 11.

Does asthma, or having had the flu shot, put you at a higher risk?

People with asthma or allergies do not seem to be at a higher risk for coronavirus, so long as they take their medication. A flu shot does not have any impact on your vulnerability to coronavirus.

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The RIVM has published the latest count of coronavirus cases in the Netherlands for Tuesday the 5th of May.

As of today, there are 317 more official cases since the last count, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the Netherlands to 41,087.

There have been 89 new hospitalizations, bringing the total to 11,126.

Unfortunately, there have been 86 more deaths, bringing the number of casualties due to the virus to 5,168. Although these numbers are a bit higher than the days before, this is because some deaths and hospitalisations are not reported on the day they occur. On Tuesdays, the total for the week preceding become accurate.

Here’s an overview of some other coronavirus related news in the Netherlands:

Facemasks will be obligatory on KLM flights

KLM will make facemasks obligatory on its flights from 11 May onwards. Passengers who do not wear one will not be allowed to fly. However, there will not be any fines if passengers do not wear a mask.KLM will be adding some extra flights from 11 May onwards, resuming its routes to Barcelona, ​​Madrid, Rome, Milan, Budapest, Prague, Warsaw and Helsinki. Passengers may also wear a scarf instead of a facemask. So long as it covers the nose and mouth and fastens behind the ears, it’s good to go, according to the KLM spokesperson.

First hints of cabinet’s plans for reopening society

The cabinet is considering reopening terraces from 1 June, which is good news for all of you who have been missing sipping beer in this good weather. Also under consideration is making face masks on public transport obligatory, as more people will be on the move soon. More details will be released soon, such as the government’s plans for contact professions, and when these changes might come into effect.

King Willem Alexander’s Remembrance Day speech

Though not strictly coronavirus related, yesterday was Remembrance Day and King Willem Alexander gave a speech that has really impressed people. He spoke about his great-grandmother’s role during WWII, and the fact that many members of the Jewish community did not feel that she did enough to help them. This is the first time this has been acknowledged by a member of the royal family.

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KLM will make facemasks obligatory on its flights from 11 May onwards. Passengers who do not wear one will not be allowed to fly. However, there will not be any fines if passengers do not wear a mask.

KLM will be adding some extra flights from 11 May onwards, resuming its routes to Barcelona, ​​Madrid, Rome, Milan, Budapest, Prague, Warsaw and Helsinki. Currently, the airline is operating at 10% of its regular capacity. These new routes will bring it up to 15%.

Scarves can also be used instead of facemasks

Passengers may also wear a scarf instead of a facemask. So long as it covers the nose and mouth and fastens behind the ears, it’s good to go, according to the KLM spokesperson.

Airline will adhere to 1.5m rule when possible

The airline will also be trying to adhere to the 1.5m rule, keeping the seats between passengers empty. This should definitely be possible on these new routes, where the demand is still pretty low, but on several repatriation flights it has not been possible for passengers to keep 1.5m from each other, the KLM spokesperson said.

Facemasks in the Netherlands: conflicting information

Mandatory facemasks are also being considered for public transport in the Netherlands as part of the cabinets plan to reopen the country. However, the RIVM maintains that they are not necessary, so long as everyone sticks to the rules.

Would you be happy to wear a facemask on a flight? Let us know in the comments below.

Feature Image: Jyi1693/ Wikimedia Commons 

The cabinet is currently fleshing out its plans for the next phase of lockdown. As the numbers of deaths, hospitalisations and ICU beds occupied by coronavirus patients continue to fall, some restrictions are likely to be lifted soon.

Terraces may reopen from 1 June

Many of us have been missing sitting on a terrace, sipping a beer, especially with the amazing weather we’ve been having recently. Good news might be just around the corner, as the cabinet is considering opening terraces again from 1 June onwards.

Face masks on public transport

The cabinet is also considering making the wearing of facemasks on public transport obligatory, as more and more people begin moving around. Public transport is currently still intended only for those who absolutely need to travel to work.

But as more people begin to move around- for example when primary schools reopen next week- the 1.5m distance cannot be guaranteed on public transport, so the cabinet is considering making facemasks obligatory.

More details to emerge

As yet, there are no confirmed details on how the cabinet wants contact professions (such as hairdressers) to manage things when they reopen. There are also no set dates yet for when these rules will be relaxed. That should be revealed over the coming weeks- probably on Wednesday, when the next press conference is set to take place.

Are you excited for a specific social distancing rule to be lifted? Let us know in the comments below.

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Yesterday was Remembrance Day, and it was the first time in the Netherlands that the head of state spoke on this day. But of course, that wasn’t the only reason today was very different from previous Remembrance Days in the Netherlands.

With social distancing rules in effect, the usual gatherings in Dam Square, to remember those who have died in conflict in and since World War II, were not able to happen. Instead, King Willem Alexander laid a wreath on Dam Square and gave a speech. No members of the public were present.

#Dodenherdenking pic.twitter.com/lzNoBWSxku

— Sander Paulus (@SanderRTLNieuws) May 4, 2020

King addressed Queen Wilhelmina’s role in WWII

Never before has the head of state given a speech at Remembrance Day, and King Willem Alexander made it a special one for another reason, as well. There has long been controversy over his great grandmother, Queen Wilhelmina’s role during World War II. She spent it in London, and members of the Dutch Jewish community in particular have felt that she did not do enough to help them.

Today we remember the people who died during World War II. The Dutch king, on an empty Dam square in Amsterdam: ‘Sobibor started in the Vondelpark, with a sign saying: “Prohibited for Jews”.’ pic.twitter.com/JcL0aKaMJu

— Brenda Stoter Boscolo (@BrendaStoter) May 4, 2020

King speaks of great-grandmother’s resistance

Yesterday, King Willem Alexander addressed this in a very personal way. He acknowledged the feeling of abandonment that was felt by some. “Fellow people felt abandoned. Not heard enough.” However, he also noted that his great grandmother had been steadfast in her resistance in London, and that was something he couldn’t let go of. This has generally been extremely well received by members of the public and representatives of the Jewish community in the Netherlands.

Dit zijn de beste woorden die ik Willem-Alexander ooit heb horen uitspreken. Wat een indrukwekkende speech.

— Mark Lievisse Adriaanse (@Markla94) May 4, 2020

“I thought it was beautifully told”

Eddo Verdoner, chairman of the Central Jewish Consultation, thought that the King’s speech was “very impressive and powerful”. It may go some way to healing the sense of abandonment that Jewish people felt. “What I liked was how the king brought out the inner conflict that he feels. He saw the fierce resistance of his great-grandmother. But he also saw how subjects did not hear that in her words. I thought it was beautifully told,” said Verdoner.

You can read the King’s full speech here.

What did you think of the King’s Speech yesterday? Let us know in the comments below.

Feature Image: Abuzer van Leeuwen/Supplied. 

It’s becoming more and more clear that the new “1.5-metre society” is here to stay, at least for a while.

As we are getting used to this new reality and so, businesses, companies and stores need to readapt. Once such enterprise includes is our very own favourite NS, which is planning to introduce new and specific social distancing measures within their stations, reports NU.

Keeping a distance

The NS aims to introduce stickers placed on the floor of stations to clearly mark the distance between people. This stickers will be placed on platforms but also on escalators.

Cleaning will be done more extensively throughout the station on all objects that a lot of travellers use, such as door handles and buttons.

The measures will be implemented starting this week in the following stations: Amsterdam South, Arnhem Centraal, Culemborg, Gouda, Groningen North and Utrecht Centraal.

From May 11 onwards, there will be signs in stations showing the new rules.

Among the measures, some of the new ones to be included involve having only two people at a time using an escalator while keeping four steps away from each other and keeping a five tile distance on the platform.

Measures could also be included in metro and bus stations

As the above-mentioned measures are a pilot project, if they go well, there will be a discussion on if they need to be implemented further.

The public transport sector will analyse if and how to implement these measures at a nation-wide level in places like metro and bus stations.

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The RIVM has published the latest count of coronavirus cases in the Netherlands of Monday the 4th of May (it’s also remembrance day in the Netherlands)

As of today, there are 199 more official cases since the last count, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the Netherlands to 40,770.

There have been 42 new hospitalizations, bringing the total to 11,037.

Unfortunately, there have been 26 more deaths, bringing the number of casualties due to the virus to 5,082. There’s usually a delay in the reporting of the numbers, so one can expect the numbers to be a bit higher on Tuesday.

Here’s an overview of some other coronavirus related news in the Netherlands:

Dutch municipality hires ‘1.5-metre coach’ to help businesses survive during social distancing

The current measure of 1.5-metre social distancing is not always easy to follow, especially in places where lots of people gather, such as stores and supermarkets. In order to ease with the process, Nunspeet, a municipality in Gelderland, has decided to hire someone as a 1,5-metre coach.

The coach will be responsible for helping businesses sort out all the logistics of social distancing. Examples of this include where to place stickers on the ground to mark the distance, how to implement contactless payments and so forth.

1.5m society: Amsterdam restaurant to offer four-course meal in individual glasshouses

Another measure of adaptation we have recently seen in regards to social distancing comes from a restaurant in Amsterdam. In order to safely host their guests, the restaurant has decided to install outside some small glasshouses.

The glasshouse can host up to three clients and they help by protecting both the workers in the restaurant as well as other customers. This is, for now, a trial stage, but if it all goes well, the restaurant wants to bring in bigger glasshouses for families.

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The Dutch municipality of Nunspeet in Gelderland has become the first to hire a 1.5-metre coach. The new role aims to support small businesses and entrepreneurs as they transition to being open in a society with social distancing still in effect. 

The 1.5-metre coach was appointed last week and will help organisations with the practical implementation of the 1.5-metre distance rule. How will a shop be laid out? How can people enter? How can they pay with minimal contact? These are all aspects the coach will be covering.

The municipality of Nunspeet implemented the role after receiving many questions from business owners as to how they can best continue. “The goal is often to find a good balance between the continuation of business operations and ensuring the health of employees, customers and/or visitors,” the municipality said on their website.

De 1,5-metercoach kan ondernemers en organisaties binnen de gemeente Nunspeet ondersteunen bij vraagstukken rondom de 1,5-meterafstandregel. Lees meer: https://t.co/WG9TvRfZNN

— Gemeente Nunspeet (@gem_nunspeet) May 1, 2020

However, the municipality says the coach won’t issue fines for non-compliance. The role exists only to advise business owners on strategies they can choose to undertake. The responsibility for guaranteeing the 1.5-metre distance rule lies with the companies and the authorities.

Experts (a.k.a not a certain American president) predict that we may not see a vaccine until next year, and treatments still being investigated. So, it’s likely that the measures taken to create a 1.5-metre society will remain in place for some time.

What do you think of this new role creation? Would you like to see this in your town? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!