Covid-19: ICU patient total falls to 959 after 13th straight decline

The number of patients being treated for Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by coronavirus, fell to 959 on Saturday, the lowest total since March 27. That figure has fallen for 13 days in a row, with the total decreasing by four patients since Friday, according to national patient coordination office LCPS.

"Today's decrease is small, but falls within normal fluctuations. We have no reason to believe that the gradual decline will come to a complete halt," said Ernst Kuipers, the chair of the acute care network in the Netherlands. "The slight difference from yesterday may be partly explained by the fact that the intensive care discharges during the weekend take place a little later in the day than during the week."

German hospitals were still treating 37 patients from the Netherlands. With more space in Dutch medical centers, the hospitals were able to care for more patients without Covid-19, which totaled 385 on Saturday.

Nonprofit intensive care organization NICE said it estimated 662 of the 2,731 intensive care patients in treatment for Covid-19 have died since the end of February. Another 591 have been transferred to another hospital department and 535 have been discharged.