Coronavirus infection average down for 13th day running; Covid hospitalizations up sharply

The rolling average of new coronavirus infections in the Netherlands has fallen daily since December 22, reaching 8,248 on Monday. That figure was at its lowest point in over three weeks when the government began shaping up its plans for a hard lockdown.

Some 6,671 people tested positive for the infection, according to data released by the RIVM on Monday. That was ten percent lower than a week ago. Public health agency RIVM was expected to reveal more data on Tuesday, which should include details about how many people were tested for an infection of the SARS-CoV-2 over the past seven days, and what percentage of them were given a positive result.

Testing for the infection was believed to be down substantially during both the Christmas and New Year's holiday periods.

At the same time, the number of people being treated in a hospital for Covid-19 jumped back up by a net increase of 135, with 2,836 patients in care on Monday. That was the most since the second week of April, figures from nonprofit organization NICE showed.

That included 706 patients in intensive care, an increase of 11, and 2,130 people in regular care, up 124 after accounting for deaths and discharges, patient coordination office LCPS said. Over the past 24 hours, regular care departments took on 226 more patients with the coronavirus disease, and 41 people were moved into the ICUs.

The hospital total was ten percent higher than a week ago, putting Dutch hospitals on course to have about 3,150 admitted coronavirus patients by next Monday.

Over 32 thousand people have been treated in a hospital for Covid-19 since the pandemic began, and about seven thousand have required intensive care. To date, 827,726 people in the Netherlands have tested positive for the viral infection, including 11,675 who died from Covid-19.