Netherlands: 31% more coronavirus infections today; Covid hospitalizations up 26th day straight

Preliminary data showed that the Netherlands registered another 2,921 infections of the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus, a 31 percent increase over last Monday's total and a 3 percent drop compared to Sunday's record-setting tally. Hospitalizations for Covid-19 also rose for the 26th consecutive day.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Health Minister Hugo de Jonge were expected to hold a press conference on Monday evening to address the escalating health crisis in the Netherlands.

Public health agency RIVM said on Monday that 41 more hospitalizations were linked to the coronavirus disease, the most in a single day since the end of April. Seven more people were also moved into intensive care, and six more deaths were caused by the disease.

"The number of admitted covid patients continues to rise rapidly," said Ernst Kuipers, the head of the Dutch acute care providers network. "If the current trend continues, the number of admitted covid patients will rise to over 1,000 over the weekend."

According to the LCPS, the hospitalization total rose for the 26th straight day to 660 patients on Monday, 43 more than the previous day. Some 518 of those patients were outside of the ICU, an increase of 28, while 142 were being treated in intensive care, an increase of 15.

The intensive care system has treated 3,259 patients based in the Netherlands, including 2,090 who were released from the hospital and 910 who died during treatment. A total of 6,380 residents have died as a result of Covid-19, and 12,664 people in total have been hospitalized because of the illness.

To date, 114,540 people in the country have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus infection, including the 2,921 reported on Monday. That included 272 in Rotterdam, 241 in Amsterdam and 227 in The Hague, the three cities with the day's most new infections.