Lockdown in the Netherlands

Covid-19 lockdowns come in all forms. On one end are those in China, where people are literally not allowed out of their homes for weeks at a time. On the other extreme, we have Dutch lockdowns.
The Dutch government does not believe in confining people to their homes. In 2020, in its first and strictest lockdown, when all shops and institutions except for food stores and drugstores were closed, people were allowed (even encouraged) to exercise outdoors. Masks were never required outdoors.

On December 19, 2021, the Dutch government declared the country’s second Covid-19 lockdown.

How does this lockdown feel like? When I go to our nearby covered shopping center, I see that ‘non-essential ‘ shops such as hair and nail salons, and clothing shops are indeed closed. But many shops operate through ‘bell and collect’, where customers call the shop and come to collect the items they ordered. It is amusing, because some customers call the shop to place their orders through their cellphones while standing near the shop. Shops that do maintenance and repair work are also open, as well as collection/delivery points for online webshops. Libraries, government services are open; so are cafes and restaurants for take-out. And, typical of the Dutch, coffee shops (where cannabis is sold) are also open (take-out only). Flower shops seem to also be considered essential.
In short, most of the shops are open, in one way or another.

In other ways, though, the lockdown is serious. There is no night-life, and nobody can eat out – anywhere. Nobody can go to watch a football game, go to the movies or to museums. Train and bus services have been reduced, especially at night and rush-hours, for lack of passengers.

The people have adapted to the lockdown. The government-declared fireworks ban was largely ignored: you could not buy fireworks legally, but people just went to Belgium or Germany to buy them. And the police declared that they were not going to arrest people using fireworks. Lots of people go to Belgium or Germany to shop, or eat out.
Young singles have shifted from having dinner dates to ‘strolling’ dates (sometimes bringing gluhwein). Offices hold Zoom cocktails: where the participants are in a Zoom session, consuming wine/beer and finger food that was sent to their homes.

On January 10, primary and secondary schools reopen, as well as day-care centers. Tertiary education remains closed though. The lockdown will officially end on January 14. People expect it to be extended, but loosened a bit more.