Covid-19 cases in ICU down for third day in a row; Lowest total in two weeks

The number of Covid-19 patients being treated in intensive care decreased for the third straight day, patient coordination office LCPS said on Friday. There were 134 people being treated in Dutch hospitals for the coronavirus disease, including 34 in intensive care, the lowest total since August 13.

The ICUs were treating two fewer patients than on Thursday, while other departments were caring for seven less patients. Figures from public health agency RIVM showed that 35 patients were admitted to the hospital with Covid-19 from Tuesday through Thursday, and five people were moved into intensive care.

"Hospitals are currently not very burdened by caring for COVID patients. This number is also steadily decreasing," said Ernst Kuipers, the head of the acute care providers network in the Netherlands. He attributed the declining numbers to the recent drop in the number of new SARS-CoV-2 infections, fewer people reporting to their family doctor, and a drop in the concentration of the coronavirus strain found in sewer water.

The RIVM added 507 more known coronavirus infections to its statistics on Friday, bringing the total for the week up to 2,577. That is about ten fewer cases than at the same point last week.

Amsterdam (81), Rotterdam (56) and The Hague (28) still represented the highest number of cases. The three combined for about a third of all of Friday's new infections.