2,777: Friday coronavirus infection total shatters Thursday record by 9%

The Netherlands again set a high-mark for most coronavirus cases reported in a single day with 2,777 more people testing positive for the virus. The infection total was the fifth record-breaking day in a row, and was nine percent higher than Thursday.

It was also 40 percent higher than the figure released by public health agency RIVM last Friday. The day's new statistics also matched Thursday's tally of 16 people with Covid-19 who died as a result of the disease. Another 36 were also hospitalized, 11 more than on Thursday.

With the weekend yet to come, the Netherlands has already recorded 12,140 new infections of the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus. The total since Monday was nearly 53 percent higher than the same period a week ago.

Preliminary data from the RIVM showed that 360 of the infections occurred in residents of Amsterdam, more than double any other city in the Netherlands. The Security Region encompassing the Amsterdam metropolitan area was expected to introduce new measures to slow the spread of the virus, which could include closing wedding and party rental halls and cinemas, while reducing group sizes and allowable event attendance levels.

The Amsterdam-Amstelland region could be placed at Level 3, the worst of three-stage warning system from the Dutch government. This would classify the city and surrounding area as being at "serious" risk.

After Amsterdam, The Hague had the second most new infections, with 178. That was followed by Rotterdam with 174. The country's total number of infections since testing began stood at 105,918 on Friday.

Some 12,560 people have been hospitalized due to Covid-19, and 6,328 people have been killed as a result of the coronavirus disease, data from the RIVM showed.