RIVM: 18 more Covid-19 deaths, 22 more hospitalizations

Public health agency RIVM announced on Sunday that 18 more people who were being treated for Covid-19 have died, bringing the total number of fatal cases up to 5,440. Twelve of those deaths took place on Saturday, and three more were recorded on Friday, increasing the number of fatalities that day to 20. The other three occurred between April 29 and May 5.

An additional 22 people were also hospitalized for the coronavirus disease, bringing that total up to 11,307. At least three people were hospitalized on Friday and 16 patients were admitted on Thursday, the most recent dates for which data is available. The other registered hospital cases included admissions scattered between March 28 and May 8.

At the end of last week, the RIVM said it would change how it reports hospitalizations by delaying the disclosure of daily figures to present a more accurate picture. It also would no longer include cases where a patient was being treated for a different ailment and tested positive for coronavirus, unless their condition worsened because of the Covid-19 illness.

So far, 42,627 people have tested positive for the viral infection, an increase of 245. "What is notable is a cluster of COVID-19 patients in an asylum reception center in Sneek, which GGD Fryslan reported earlier this week," the RIVM said.

The GGD Fryslan, the municipal health service operating in the province of Friesland, confirmed on Friday that 22 residents and one worker in the asylum center had tested positive for the virus.

More than 254 thousand people had been tested for the viral infection through Thursday. More up to date figures were expected to be available on Monday afternoon.