Far fewer people contagious with coronavirus: RIVM

About 34 thousand people in the Netherlands infected with the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus were believed to be contagious, public health agency RIVM said on Tuesday. The figure was lowered from just under 52 thousand, as the agency estimated a week ago.

The RIVM said that 415 more people also tested positive for the virus, the lowest daily total since August 3. Tuesday’s new infections total was nearly 28 percent lower than on Monday. New hospitalizations have also fallen since a small surge at the end of last week.

“The number of admitted COVID patients is declining slightly. In combination with a limited decrease in the number of new infections, this is a favorable sign, suitable for a stable situation,” said Ernst Kuipers, the head of the Dutch acute care providers network.

Early data from the RIVM showed that 27 people were hospitalized between Saturday and Monday for Covid-19, and six people were moved into intensive care during that time. According to the patient coordination office LCPS, Dutch hospitals were treating 158 patients for the coronavirus disease including 38 in intensive care, a decrease of three, and 120 outside of the ICU, a reduction of one.

In the Netherlands, a total of 3,028 people with Covid-19 have been treated in intensive care, with 882 dying in the hospital. Some 1,959 recovered and were eventually discharged.