I have gotten a lot of questions about moving during the pandemic, the restrictions in Amsterdam, etc so I thought I would do a post!
Overall, the vibe is quite different in my opinion compared to what things were like in Chicago. First off, Ryan and I were super super lucky to get the Moderna vaccine before we moved. We volunteered several weekends at a COVID clinic and were able to get some of the leftover doses. I would feel a lot differently about moving if not vaccinated.
Government Restrictions:
The country is in the middle of a very strict lockdown that has largely impacted us as we moved. Some of the most impactful rules include:
-All restaurants are closed and only open for takeaway. Even outdoor restaurants are closed. The greatest implication for us with this restriction is on our day trips. With dining closed so are the restrooms at cafes and restaurants. You can’t simply go buy a coffee to use the bathroom. We had to be a little more creative when on our bike trip to Weesp, Tulip visit, and day trip to Zaandem.
-All non essential stores require an appointment to go shopping. This one has honestly been quite a pain, especially, when we first arrived. Basically, other than drugstores and grocery stores you have to have an appointment to shop. My comparison is to imagine if you had to schedule a trip to Target at least 4 hours in advance? This was more of an issue in the beginning as we needed to buy items for our apartment and didn’t know what stores would have what. For example, we couldn’t go into a store to browse at all without planning it out in advance. For example, our apartment didn’t come with a garbage can. We couldn’t wander through town going in and out of stores looking for a garbage can. We ended up buying a lot more online as it was easier than trying to figure out what store would have what. Plus, in many instances appointments fill up quickly. I stayed up several nights until midnight trying to get a Primark appointment!
-A 10 pm curfew. This isn’t too big of a deal for us, but we did run into problems one night. We visited my cousin and her family out in the suburbs of Amsterdam and cut it close to curfew. We had to watch the clock and catch a train back into the city in time. We arrived back at our apartment at 10:06 after basically running from the train station. I am not exactly sure what the reproductions are if you are out during curfew, but I don’t want to have a run-in with the Dutch Police ;).
Vaccination Schedule:
– The Dutch are quite behind the United States in vaccinating the population. I saw that today in Chicago 50% of adults have received their first dose. So exciting! I would also add that most all of my friends and family have received at least the first dose. Yet, here in the Netherlands they are still working on healthcare workers and in a few weeks will start with adults 65+. In the US, we were vaccinating 65+ months ago! I honestly think that if we wouldn’t have gotten our vaccine before we left we would have flown back in Mayish to try to get the J&J vaccine to be done with it.
Public Opinions of COVID/Rule Following:
-People aren’t are strict on following mask guidelines. For example, in Chicago a would say most individuals wear a mask when outside walking around the streets. In Amsterdam, it is maybe 5% of people wear a mask while outside. The Dutch assume that if you are outside, you don’t need to wear a mask. Also, I have yet to see anyone wearing a double mask which became recommended by the CDC and was becoming more popular in the US. An example of mask wearing is when we got Ikea furniture delivered, yet the delivery men didn’t wear masks. They brought it into our building, up the stairs, and to our apartment all without wearing a mask. This is crazy to think that they are going into different people’s home all day long and not wearing a mask!
-The Dutch trust plastic shields way too much in my opinion. The use of plastic barriers between tables at restaurants, at the checkout at grocery stores, and other has become quite common. Similar to the US, the use of these barriers are quite common here in the Netherlands. The main difference is that the Dutch think if there is a barrier you don’t need to wear a face mask….. For example, when we set up bank accounts the banker was behind a plastic shield and therefore didn’t wear a mask. Yes, he isn’t directly breathing on us, but his air particles are still circulating in the small closed office and it is still possible to spread COVID this way. I have numerous examples of this at stores.
Update: The Prime Minister did announce at a news conference yesterday that as of April 28th they will open outside restaurants from 12-6pm and eliminate having to make an appointment to go shopping. I am excited to take advantage of things opening up, but also have slight mixed feelings. COVID is getting worse here and they are having some of the worst hospitalizations since the beginning of COVID yet, are opening up more. The spread of COVID through outdoor restaurants is so minimal and I think making appointments for a store isn’t necessary as long as you limit the number of people allowed in at a time. My main mixed reaction is does opening up more send the message that COVID is getting better even though it is getting worse?
I can’t wait for COVID to get better and start to take advantage more of living abroad by meeting people at restaurants, traveling, and going on work trips! Everyone mask up and let’s get through this together by taking care of each other!
❤ Melanie
Smiles from Miles Away 