Schools have been closed in the Amsterdam for at least a couple of weeks - it’s lessons at home. They are having to stay at home and only go out for groceries and pharmacy. Parks are closed - they can occasionally go out for bicycle ride or walk for exercise. Concert venues are shut down in multiple cities - no work for DB. So it seems to me Amsterdam at least is very much sheltering in place like several areas of the US, and maybe started a bit sooner. DB and family live there and we FaceTime once or twice a week.
Yes that's true but there is no requirement for real social distancing.
"Prime Minister Mark Rutte has essentially argued that social distancing will only prolong the disastrous effects of the virus. He believes — supposedly based on the knowledge of medical professionals — that the Dutch population should be somewhat exposed to the virus so that immunity can be formed and society can return to a sense of normalcy as quickly as possible.
The Dutch government did shut down schools, cafes, movie theaters, houses of worship and many offices, but we are still free here to move around, shop, pick up takeout and receive packages in the mail. Our extensive public transportation network hasn’t skipped a beat.
Sweden has a similarly lax policy. The United Kingdom, whose prime minister, Boris Johnson, had adhered to the same “herd immunity” policy as Rutte, introduced stricter measures on Monday, telling residents to stay home and ordering shops selling non-essential goods to shutter. Johnson on Monday finally ordered a full lockdown. "
You can employ a policy like that in places where most of the population is generally healthy. The obesity rates are relatively low in the Netherlands and Sweden. The U.K. is a different situation. As many doctors are seeing now, both young and old who are overweight or obese who have obstructive sleeping patterns, are at most risk. The hospital where my brother works has currently has four patients on ventilators and all four are under 40 and overweight. They lost one elderly patient who had multiple secondary issues. If you watched 60 minutes last night, New York is finding similar patterns.