Over 3,800 more test positive for coronavirus; Covid-19 hospitalizations rise again
The Netherlands set a new record again on Friday for most cases of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infections reported in a single day with 3,831. That figure was 38 percent higher than just one week ago, and 17 percent higher than on Thursday. It was the 13th time a new high mark has been set in the past 17 days.
It raised the total number of infections reported since Monday morning to 16,321, up 34 percent in a week, data from public health agency RIVM showed. While Amsterdam was home to 360 people who tested positive, roughly the same as last Friday, there were sharp increases in Rotterdam, where the day's total of 302 reflected a 70 percent increase.
The Hague was the city with the third highest daily total on Friday with 215, nearly a fourth higher than a week ago.
In total, hospitals in the Netherlands were treating 733 people for Covid-19 on Friday, a sharp 6 percent increase over Thursday. "Of these, 573 are outside the Intensive Care Unit, 34 more than yesterday," said patient coordination office LCPS.
Another 160 coronavirus patients were being treated in intensive care, an increase of eight. The Covid-19 patient total was at its highest point since May 30, data from the LCPS showed.
"The number of Covid patients in hospitals is increasing in line with predictions. We expect this increase to continue in the coming days," said Ernst Kuipers, the head of the Dutch acute care providers network.
Hospitals had seen a slight decrease in their Covid-19 patient total on Thursday, and a day earlier the admit total had stayed relatively flat.
The RIVM on Friday also said it confirmed that 23 more people were hospitalized, a 51 percent drop from Thursday's figure. It was not clear when exactly those people were admitted to hospitals, data which the agency reports on in more depth on Tuesdays. Another nine people also died as a result of the coronavirus disease.
Since the end of February, the Dutch ICU system has treated 3,342 people with Covid-19, including 921 who died in intensive care. Some 2,108 were eventually released from the hospital.
