Covid-19 patients in ICU below 650 for first time since March 23

There were 644 patients from the Netherlands being treated in intensive care on Tuesday for respiratory illness Covid-19, a decrease of 39 patients compared to the previous day. In the past three days, 25 patients from intensive care have been discharged, 15 have been transferred to another department, and five have died.

Of all 2,830 patients with the coronavirus disease who required treatment in ICU, this week was the first time hospitals could say that they have discharged more healthy patients than have died, said nonprofit organization NICE. The agency, which has tracked intensive care statistics for the past 20 years, said that ICUs have discharged a total of 762 patients, while 732 have died. Another 643 former ICU patients were receiving care in other departments.

Tuesday was the 24th consecutive day to show a decline in Covid-19 patients, according to patient coordination office LCPS. "The decrease offers ICUs the space to catch their breath and resume other care. All regions are working on this. That will lead to an increase in the number of non-COVID patients at the ICUs in the near future," said Ernst Kuipers, the chair of the country's acute care network. Nearly 400 patients without Covid-19 were being treated in intensive care.

The last time Dutch ICU units were caring for fewer than 655 Covid-19 patients was on March 23. On that date there were 573 patients. On Tuesday, the Dutch intensive care units were finally showing more balance in terms of the number of Covid-19 patients in their care, regardless of their location. Some regions were still struggling with overcrowded wards as recently as last week.

German hospitals were still caring for 26 of the patients from the Netherlands, two fewer than Monday. One of the two patients had died, while the other was transferred to another facility, the LCPS said.