“I don’t mind going to work because I work in a completely safe environment. It is scrupulously clean here, so the chance of contamination is many times lower than in other places, even under normal circumstances. The hygiene measures we already have to adhere to are so stringent that there’s nothing more for us to do.”
“I see the biggest difference with my colleagues. Only the people who work with the Drive Lasers are at work. The rest are working from home. The colleagues who work at the location must observe to the new measures. You realise that the health of the employees has the highest priority within the organisation. For example, they take your temperature before you enter the building. Everyone works individually in separate spaces and the 1.5-meter boundary, of course, also applies to us.”
“Fortunately, I can easily contact my colleagues and supervisors by email or phone. We do this regularly. Luckily, my daily tasks are quite clear. They keep us well informed of all developments regarding the COVID-19 virus, so I feel quite calm and reassured about it all.”
How is that possible? “I strongly believe in the unpredictability of life and that there is a solution to every problem. Mainly, my husband and I try to stay positive during this period and to take the necessary precautions. We eat healthy and try to keep our immune system strong. That’s the best we can do now. And no, exploring the Netherlands is not possible at the moment. That will come. Right now, we get a breath of fresh air by going shopping once a week. We spend the rest of our free time in the house. I have to say that we really don’t mind, we’ve always enjoyed being at home.”
Our family in South Africa is doing well. Thank God, everyone is healthy. The country has been in total lockdown for 21 days, so the changes there are more severe than here in the Netherlands. All the industry has shut down except essential services. My husband Cody and I are very happy that we moved here just in time. Xelvin has ensured that the process went smoothly and we know that we can contact Lieke with all our questions and concerns. That gives us a nice feeling and makes us look forward to the future here!”