At 7 PM today we will get the official announcement about the current coronavirus measures in the Netherlands. We’ll get information about things such as until when will the deadline be extended and what measures will stay and which will be eased off.

The advice given to the cabinet is made by the Outbreak Management Team (OMT), the team officially advising the cabinet on the measures to take during the coronavirus crisis. Among the different suggestions, one of the main topics is what to do about schools, reports NOS. It’s expected that the cabinet will largely follow this advice.

Read the full advisory in Dutch

Partial opening of schools

Following the Scandinavian model, where they have already partially opened schools, the Netherlands might soon follow after the May holidays.

The way this would work in practice is that there would only be half-days at schools or that children will go to school alternatively. Childcare and special primary education might potentially open without any sort of restrictions after the May holidays.

Meanwhile, secondary schools may begin physical classes again. But this will only happen if primary schools avoid another coronavirus outbreak for at least one month.

Sports: youths can play team sports again

The advice given in regards to sports differs from children, teenagers and professional athletes. Children, who are of maximum 12 years of age, can participate in sporting activities without thinking about the 1.5 meter distancing protocols.

Teenagers from the age of 12 and 18 can also participate in group sports but they need to keep the necessary distance.

For professional athletes, individual training is allowed, varying from the type of sport they practice. Group sports are however not advised, as there is a high risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

No visits to nursing homes

Unfortunately for those who have elderly in nursing homes, they will not be able to visit them because of the risk of bringing the virus from the outside. Visiting measures will therefore not be relaxed for the time being.

What about contact professions?

There’s not a lot of consensus in the OMT on what to do with regards to contact professions, as the risk of exposure varies from job to job. For example, OMT says a dentist could manage their risk better than a hairdresser.

The cabinet will need to decide individually on all of the above factors, and part of making the decision is making sure that the hospitals do not become overwhelmed and that hospital admission numbers continue to fall.

Stay tuned at 7 PM for the official announcement of the cabinet’s decision on the measures, which we will cover extensively for you.

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Apps are a major part of the government’s plan to emerge from the coronacrisis. There has been significant progress on that this week, but also some setbacks.

The cabinet has said several times that there are three criteria the country must meet before the coronavirus rules are relaxed: the health system needs to not be overwhelmed any more; we need to have sufficient testing capacity, and we need a way of tracking who has been infected. It’s the last one that the apps are useful for, but finding a way to track who has been potentially infected without invading privacy is proving difficult.

Appathon fails to produce suitable app for tracking infections

Last weekend, there was an “appathon” to try out some apps that had been developed to track just that: they would be of most use in determining if the user had come into contact with someone else who had been confirmed as infected. Of course, that sort of information is crucial in stopping the spread of the virus, but it’s also quite invasive.

Privacy is a major concern

De Volkskrant reports that generally, security services are encouraging the government to approach the app problem with less haste and more thought. For example, the country where the app is developed should be looked into, as well as the way the app stores data. The House of Representatives will discuss these apps and their possibilities on Wednesday.

OLVG app opens to the public

However, there is another app that has been opened to the public: it helps doctors diagnose coronavirus in patients, which should go some way to unburdening the healthcare system. You input your symptoms, and they’re checked against RIVM guidelines on coronavirus symptoms, NOS reports. If they match, a doctor will call you, and the diagnostic procedure can proceed as normal. However, at the moment, those with mild symptoms are still not being tested and merely advised to stay home.

This app was originally developed by the OLVG hospital in Amsterdam and is called the Corona Check App. It was launched over a month ago, and over 100,000 people have used it. Originally it was just being used by hospitals around the country, but now it is open to everyone. 50 employees at the OLVG are monitoring it.

What are your thoughts on apps being used to diagnose and track coronavirus? Let us know in the comments below.

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How does coronavirus affect children, and what role are children playing in the spread of the virus? It is these questions that need to be considered before  relaxing coronavirus measures becomes a possibility in the Netherlands.

As of now it appears that children do not display severe symptoms of the infection, NOS reports. In fact, some cases are so mind that symptoms are not even present. Rarely does coronavirus result a fever for children.

Nonetheless, this doesn’t apply for call cases of coronavirus among children. A 12-year old girl in Belgium died as a result of the virus, without having previously underlying complications. Furthermore a 16-year old boy in Breda was hospitalised and in intensive care, fighting for his life.

The Outbreak Management Team, which advises the Dutch cabinet, stated in their advice (issued April 14) that reopening primary schools and nurseries will not drastically affect the number of of IC beds, since most cases among youth are mild. Thus, it has advised the cabinet to gradually begin reopening schools in May. 

How contagious are children?

Although cases among children may not be quite as serious as they are among the elderly, it’s important to remember that the virus could possibly spread between children who could then infect their parents as well as others.

NOS reports that the RIVM (which closely monitors coronavirus in the Netherlands) has been studying the virus in families, so more will be known after June 1.

Although virologists and epidemiologists agree that more serious infections are more contagious than mild infections, much is still unknown about contagiousness and mild cases. So it is unclear whether children with no symptoms can infect others.

Spread of coronavirus through stool

Even though children may have mild symptoms or may display no symptoms at all, the virus is still reportedly present in nasal fluid and in stool, studies show.

Italian virologist, Massimo Gatti recommends flushing the toilet with the lid closed as a way to prevent spread through this avenue, since flushing releases molecules into the air, which has the capacity to spread infection, NOS states. In practice this is difficult to implement.

So all in all, we still need more research to see exactly how coronavirus affects children. What is known, however, is that it affects them less severely than adults.

Follow DutchReview on Facebook for more coronavirus updates in the Netherlands.

Feature Image: Lucélia Ribeiro/Flickr 

One of the industries that has been majorly affected by the coronavirus crisis is hairdressing salons. Considering that we all need a trim from time to time and that attempting to cut our hair at home can result in some unfortunate aesthetic accidents, when can we expect them to open?

A new protocol has been developed and proposed by two unions, CNV and FNV, with the help of hairdressing organisation ANKO, in order to allow hairdressers to get back to work, reports RTL Nieuws.

Safety precautions

One of the potential ways of re-opening hairdressers involves taking some necessary safety precautions. As such, both the hairdresser and the customer need to wear face masks, while the hairdresser also needs to wear gloves. Hairdressers will also need to keep a distance from each other within the salon.

More demand for hairdressers

As the weeks have gone by since businesses have closed, so has the demand for hairdressers.

If the protocol does pass through and hairdressers open for business once more, the pricing will be more expensive. This is because people will now need to pay extra for the safety equipment of the hairdressers, as they cannot support the costs on their own.

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The Outbreak Management Team (OMT) has advised the cabinet to begin to reopen schools in May, according to documents seen by RTL Nieuws. 

Tonight, the Prime Minister will give a press conference, detailing the decision that the cabinet has taken about the next phase of the coronacrisis in the Netherlands. Until 28 April, the current social distancing measures are in place: these include school closures, no cafes or restaurants offering sit-down meals, and lots of crossing the street when you see someone.

The 1.5 metre society is here to stay

Last week, Rutte emphasised that even with the best case scenario, we will definitely not be returning to normal life in May: the 1.5 metre society is here to stay. But, in terms of what we can expect from tonight’s press conference, the OMT’s advice is a good indication of what the government might decide to do.

OMT advises gradual reopening of primary schools in May

First of all, primary schools are likely to be reopened in May, and summer holidays will probably be shortened to make up for the time children have missed in school. The OMT recommends for primary schools to start with smaller groups of students, staggered throughout the day. There has not been any indication yet about what high schools should do, but it is likely to be similar.

Cancel public gatherings til September or October

Public gatherings and events should be cancelled until 1 September, or even October, according to the OMT’s advice: so that’s bad news for any of you hoping for a late-summer festival or concert. It will also be interesting to see how this extension will affect universities, which closed in March when public gatherings were banned.

Catering industry to remain closed till mid-May

The OMT also advised for the catering, restaurant and cafe industry to remain closed until the middle of May, so don’t expect to go for a meal out any time soon. Healthcare institutions can think about allowing one or two visitors per patient, according to the OMT, and zoos and museums can work on developing a plan to reopen, so long as they still respect the 1.5 metre rule.

Of course this will all become clearer and more certain this evening, after the 7 PM press conference, but for now, this is what we can expect.

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The latest numbers from the RIVM regarding the coronavirus are here. As of today, there are 750 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases to 33,405. There are now 9,779 hospitalizations, an increase of 75 since last count. There are also 67 new reported deaths, bringing the total to 3,751.

This week we’ll gain some clarifications about the state of the deadline of the current measures of April 27. Based on the decisions of the cabinet, we might see an extension of the previous deadline, but we might also get some easing of some of the measures.

Fake NL-Alert message from the RIVM

The RIVM has announced on Twitter that today, a fake NL-Alert message was sent, posing as the RIVM, promising care packages. The RIVM has warned not to click on the link, as it is a scam.

Waarschuwing! Vanochtend is er een vals NL-Alert verzonden. In het bericht wordt gesproken over zorgpakketten die het #RIVM zou aanbieden. Dit bericht is niet van het RIVM afkomstig. Klik niet op de link in het bericht.#NLAlert #FakeNews pic.twitter.com/gZSczigZg7

— RIVM (@rivm) April 20, 2020

Fewer elderly in intensive care units

In March, one out of three patients in intensive care units were 70 years or older. Now that number has decreased to one in four patients. The largest age group in regards to hospitalizations also used to be those between 70 and 75 years old, now the age group has fallen to 60 and65 years old.

The reason is not necessarily that there are fewer elderly getting sick, rather that they are offered palliative care, meaning that they receive the treatment they need at home. As these people are not registered by the RIVM, this means that we do not have a full perspective over the number of coronavirus cases among the elderly.

Ice cream store starts selling face masks amidst controversy

An ice cream store in Amsterdam has started to sell face-masks, 25 euros for three masks. This has caused some controversy and backlash, as it is known that medical personnel are struggling with a lack of protective gear.

According to the owner of the ice cream store, who gets his masks from China, he did try to sell the masks to the RIVM (which allows this option), but in his view, his offer was too expensive.

The man defends his option of selling masks by saying that he does it simply to aid paying the rent and that he makes more of a profit just by selling his ice cream.

Students from Dutch association kicked out for throwing illegal party

15 members of Vindicat, A Dutch student association based in Groningen, were recently expelled for throwing a party.

The police were tipped over a possible party happening on the grounds of the association and upon arriving, they found students throwing a party and disrespecting social distancing measures.  The students were subsequently fined and then expelled from Vindicat.

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It appears that fewer and fewer elderly people are being referred to intensive care. This number can perhaps explain the reason for fewer hospitalizations.

In March more than one in every three patients in the IC was 70 years or older. Now the number is one in every four, according to figures released in Trouw. Furthermore, the largest group of hospitalisations was previously aged between 70 to 75, now it has fallen to between 60-65. Trouw also reports that fewer elderly are hospitalised at all.

But don’t get your hopes up just yet. It doesn’t mean that the elderly are falling ill less often, just that they are being treated at home more, receiving oxygen and medication there. Professor of geriatric medicine, Marcel Olde Rikkert, told Trouw that this is because home treatment is less isolating and more comfortable.

Dutch approach to palliative care

Palliative care is ingrained in Dutch culture. It focuses on improving the quality of life for a person who is suffering from a life-threatening illness. The aim is to decrease suffering and painful symptoms and provide “social, psychological and spiritual support” so that patients do not spend the last few weeks of their life in a hospital hooked up to machines.

READ MORE: The problem with the Dutch mortality rate

The patient has the right to choose this procedure, and the Netherlands is renowned for offering high standards of palliative care to patients. Many elderly patients may choose this approach once diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses, such as coronavirus.

Explaining the number of hospitalisations

Perhaps the fact that elderly are not being admitted to hospital as often helps explain the reason for fewer hospitalisations in the Netherlands.

Since April 9, the number of hospitalisations in the Netherlands has been decreasing, prompting Dutch hospitals to consider whether they’ll soon return to normal levels of care (i.e. the normal ICU capacity).

It is unknown how many deaths among the elderly resulting from coronavirus occur at home, according to RTL Nieuws. This information would make figures on coronavirus more clear and show whether the number of hospitalisations going down signifies a decrease in coronavirus cases. As of now, the elderly are still the most vulnerable group to the virus.

Follow DutchReview on Facebook for all the latest news on coronavirus in the Netherlands.

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Vindicat, a Dutch student association in Groningen, recently expelled 15 members for throwing a party yesterday night at the Grote Markt.

Clearly, the members were not complying with the coronavirus social distancing measures in place. Consequently, the police received a report of a possible party being held on association grounds, according to RTL Nieuws. 

When the police reached the site, they found 15 members of Vindicat and fined them for not adhering to the corona crisis rules.

In a press release, Vindicat stipulated, “we do not accept the failure of our members to adhere to the guidelines, thereby endangering others.” Furthermore, it noted that “we do not want anything to do with this behaviour.”

Expulsion

Vindicat has therefore removed these students from its association, lauding the police for its actions in response.

Ironically, Vindicat students offered free babysitting for people working in necessary professions:

De lieverds van Vindicat bieden gratis oppas aan voor ouders met een vitaal beroep.

Ook: vannacht zijn 15 van deze lieverds beboet omdat ze een feestje vierden in hun clubhuis op de Grote Markt.

Ik vind dat heel, heel ernstig.

— Minke – THIS IS NOT A DRILL (@M_nke) April 18, 2020

It should, however, be noted that group of 15 doesn’t necessarily represent the entire association and doesn’t mean that all members are responsible for their actions.

Nonetheless, in times like these, large groups of students should be aware that their actions can have wide-ranging implications.

Do you think the Netherlands needs a complete lockdown in order for people to start taking measures seriously? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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An ice cream store has started selling face masks in Amsterdam, and people are furious. The Netherlands has been dealing with a shortage of face masks for healthcare workers for weeks.

The owner of the shop, Hank, is friends with a man who imports certified face masks from China. According to Hank, his friend did try to sell the face masks to the RIVM, but they refused to buy them. Hank’s theory is that the face masks were too expensive for the RIVM, RTL Nieuws reports.

RIVM cannot always buy what people offer

This can be a possibility, according to the RIVM. People who want to offer protection to the RIVM can do so through the National Consortium for Aid, but it is not always possible to take people up on their offer. “This could be because, for example, the stocks are offered at extortionate prices, or because inquiries show that the products are not available at all,” the RIVM has stated.

No one knows which authority should deal with this store

Given that there are healthcare professionals who still do not have sufficient protective equipment, it makes sense that people are angry about this enterprise. It is nigh on impossible to find out which Dutch authority is in charge of dealing with it, according to NOS, however.

The police, who did visit the store yesterday, say it is the municipality’s responsibility- but they say National Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is the organisation that should be handling it.

The NVWA says that actually, Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ) should be doing it, which in turn says the Inspectorate for Social Affairs and Employment (SZW) is in charge. B

ut the SZW has told NOS that it can only inspect products coming into the country and in the workplace. “But anyone can sell what they want to sell in their store. There is no prohibition on selling mouth masks.”

“We don’t have enough yet” Minister de Jonge says

Last Thursday, Minister de Jonge was asked in cabinet about the face mask shortage, and said that the healthcare system was still facing a shortage. “No: we don’t have enough yet. We have ordered a lot. But that only works when it actually arrives. So we don’t have enough for the time being.” There is a national purchasing centre working on acquiring more masks.

Less profit on masks than on ice cream

According to Hank, there isn’t really a shortage of masks; there is a shortage of masks at affordable prices. In order to acquire them, you really have to pay top dollar: and that also shows in the prices he charges customers. €25 for three masks is a lot, but according to Hank he makes less profit on them than he does on ice cream.

Store owner just wants to “pay the rent and not fall over”

Hank says this business idea was about survival: he still has to pay rent and other bills on his store, which he wasn’t able to open as an ice cream store because of social distancing. “This man [referring to himself] really only wants to be able to pay the rent and not fall over. Just go back to work and help others, that is the only [way of getting through the crisis].”

What are your thoughts on this? Should stores be allowed to sell face masks? Let us know in the comments below. 

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