Coronavirus infections fall for third straight day; Covid patient total nears 2,550

New coronavirus infections detailed in daily reports from public health agency RIVM fell for the third straight day, with 8,306 new cases revealed on Monday. That figure was down 20 percent compared to last Monday, and was 13-percent lower than the seven-day rolling average.

Signs of a decrease in the number of infections and the fact that Covid-19 hospitalization totals, while high, are rising slower than predicted, were both likely to be cited as examples that the 19-day partial lockdown is working. Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Health Minister Hugo de Jonge were expected to hold a nationally-televised evening press conference on Tuesday to fully update the public on the coronavirus situation.

They were predicted to say that the improvement is good, but not good enough, and will tighten some restrictions further. This could include a further cut to the number of people allowed in a group, and the two-week closure of all museums, theaters and cinemas. Restaurants, cafes and bars were already shut on October 14, and were only allowed to serve carry-out customers.

The RIVM also said on Monday that 29 more people died as a result of Covid-19, raising the total in the Netherlands to 7,463. Over the past seven days, an average of 56 deaths were reported daily by the agency.

Hospitals in the Netherlands admitted at least 239 more patients for the coronavirus disease in the 24-hour period leading up to 2 p.m. on Monday. During that time, 47 more patients were moved into intensive care, according to patient coordination office LCPS.

After deaths and discharges, the Covid-19 patient total ticked up to 2,545, an increase of 52. That total was 13 percent higher than it was a week earlier. It included 587 patients in intensive care, an increase of four, and 1,958 patients outside of the ICU, an increase of 48.

For the first time since September 7, the average rate of increase in the admitted Covid-19 patient total has dropped below two percent. Over the past seven days, the hospital total rose by an average of 1.8 percent daily.

Since the start of the pandemic, some 20,010 people in the Netherlands were treated in the non-acute care departments, and 4,573 patients were treated in intensive care. An estimated 3,848 out of all hospital patients during treatment, according to nonprofit organization NICE.

The three cities with the most infections were Rotterdam (510), Amsterdam (326) and The Hague (276). Rotterdam's total dropped 14 percent below the seven-day average, and 22 percent compared to figures posted last Monday. Amsterdam's figures fell further, with a total 36 percent down from the rolling average, and 38 percent lower than a week ago. In The Hague, the tally was 20 percent lower than the average, and a 28-percent improvement compared to last week.

Since the end of February, 368,147 people have tested positive for the viral infection. Approximately 87 percent of those tests were conducted after June 1, when testing was made available to the general public.