It’s been nearly a year since the coronavirus pandemic hit the Netherlands. Today, I’m participating in one of Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop prompts. It asks us whether anything is back to normal yet. The short answer is: it depends on your reference point.
Last summer, we were pretty much back to as normal as you get it. We were still social distancing, but shops, restaurants and cafes were open. There were even plans to allow for festivals and the like. And then the second wave hit.
On December 15, the Netherlands entered into the second lockdown. Restaurants and cafes had already been closed sometime in November. In December, schools, including elementary schools and nurseries, closed. Daycare centers and elementary schools opened again the second week of February. However, non-essential shops were also closed. By January, a curfew was issued, allowing people to only be on the streets for certain exceptional reasons from 9PM until 4:30AM.
It is supposed to be a strict lockdown. That being said, this time around it feels easier to me than our first lockdown. After all, even though that one was said to be less strict, and in many ways it was, care facilities were not allowing visitors then. They are again now. Also, physical therapists, dentists and other medical contact professionals are allowed to remain open throughout this lockdown.
On Tuesday, our prime minister held a press conference. In it, he said that, though infection rates didn’t warrant it, society did need a loosening of the lockdown. From next week on, secondary schools will be re-opening part-time. Hairdressers, beauticians and other non-medical contact professionals are also allowed to start working again. In addition, shops are now able to allow at most two customers into the shop at a time. You’re required to register a set timeframe to shop. This will supposedly help small businesses. I already heard a joke about a major budget store being booked full till July of 2023.
Honestly, I’m rather pessimistic about us going back to “normal”, whatever that may be. I’m pretty sure we’ll enter a third wave of the virus in April and that’s assuming the current infection rate is down enough to re-open. Like the prime minister said, it really isn’t. We still get over 4000 new cases of COVID each day.
Last week, my husband Googled the ultimate question: when will COVID end? He saw an article dating back to mid-December predicting that, if by late January, new cases would be down to 1200 a day, COVID would be over by the end of 2021. For the record: new cases were almost ten times that number by then. Vaccination is also going much slower than expected. I predict it’ll be at least the summer of 2022 before we’re back to whatever semblance of normal remains.
A Multitude of Musings 
We’re sure not back to normal here, but I’m not sure we ever were!
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LOL, that makes sense. The “old normal” wasn’t really normal either.
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I also agree! I am postponing my wedding a second time as I don’t believe we will be back to normal as quickly as they are saying. And I personally will now always travel with a mask! Sending live to Holland.
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Thank you. I am sorry you’re having to pospone your wedding, but I understand.
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We are very much on the same page with regard to anything normal as this virus situation keeps rolling through our lives, Astrid.
Maybe the “normal” most of us had before the pandemic unleashed its attack on our world was anything but what the overall description should be… at least most people didn’t live in fear. At least we might have had better answers to things that drastically affected our lives.
Yes, 2022 might just be the magic numbers. Stay safe!
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Thank you for commenting. I agree the old normal probably wasn’t supposed to last anyway. Here’s hoping we can go back to some semblance of it soon.
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I’m not sure when the U.S. will get back to normal either, if we ever will. We have people here who still think it’s all a hoax. Sigh. But we are getting more vaccines, so hopefully that will help. I don’t think it will be my turn anytime soon, but our case numbers have begun declining for now. It was interesting to see how things are working in the Netherlands!
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Yeah, there are still people who believe this is a hoax here too. It’s stupid. I thankfully got my first vaccination three weeks ago. It’s going slowly though.
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I’m in the last years of my life, and sometimes I feel like the whole last twelve months have been a loss. I’ve gotten my first vaccine, though, so I am hopeful that I will be able to get out more in upcoming months. I miss people so much.
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I feel you on the loss. Back during the first lockdown, care facilities and nursing homes were closed to visitors here and this led to a lot of loneliness particularly among the elderly. I mean, I was able to understand why I couldn’t see my husband, but that doesn’t go for everyone. Anyway, thank you so much for commenting.
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yeah, we’re in lockdown here now too! Until early april, at least. I hate it, I get so depressed and frustrated, it just makes me feel awful. Xx
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I understand that. Lockdown sucks! I do get it‘s necessary, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating.
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Is the vaccine available to you at all? I didn’t realize you opened back up and then had to close again. I feel like in the US numbers are starting to go down possibly in part due to the vaccine. I’m hopeful things will open back up, but I’m conflicted because I still want people to be safe and don’t want yet another wave of this virus to hit. It’s been a bit frustrating.
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Yes, the vaccine is available here, though vaccination is slow-going. I’m in a care facility, so already got my first shot of the Pfizer vaccine four weeks ago and am going to get the second one today. I do understand you’re worried indeed. Hope you and your family stay safe.
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