Social distancing: Two thirds of Dutch notice others getting too close

Social distancing is easier said than done for many people in the Netherlands, according to a survey of 90 thousand Dutch by health institute RIVM and health services GGD. Over two thirds of Netherlands residents said that they've noticed people getting too close to them, especially in supermarkets and at the office, AD reports.

Social distancing, keeping 1.5 meters away from everyone not in your household, is an important part of the government's plan to ease the Netherlands out of the intelligent lockdown it is in to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The health services therefore decided to poll the Dutch on how they feel about social distancing, and how well they stick to the rules.

83 percent of respondents said that they find social distancing a necessary approach. A quarter find it difficult to abide by the rules. Three quarters said they've noticed not everyone adhering to social distancing in supermarkets. Two thirds said the same about workplaces.

"This shows that we have to think very carefully bout how we can translate the 1.5 meter society from paper into practice," RIVM researcher Marijn de Bruin said to AD. "If we go out again later, when offices and the catering industry open again, it will really be a challenge to kep our distance."

The researchers also asked respondents about other aspects of living through the coronavirus crisis. 60 percent of Dutch said that they don't wash their hands at least 10 times a day, or don't wash their hands for 20 seconds. Virtually all Netherlands residents, 99.5 percent, have stopped shaking other people's hands. And 90 percent said they're sticking to the rules of no more than three visitors at a time.

The RIVM and GGD will conduct this same survey every two weeks to see how well the Netherlands is managing in the 1.5 meters society.