Coronavirus average rises for 12th straight day; Vaccinations speeding up
Coronavirus infections reported by the RIVM on Friday topped five thousand for the second straight day, with the public health agency saying that another 5,151 people tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. That was two percent higher than Thursday and eight percent higher than a week ago, pushing the seven day moving average up for the twelfth consecutive day to 4,572.
So far this week, 22,682 people have tested positive for the virus, a 23 percent increase over last week. On Tuesday the RIVM will disclose more details to put these figures into context, like the number of people who were tested, what percentage of those tests were positive, and the demographics of who acquired the infection.
Though infections in Amsterdam dropped slightly to 217, the moving average there rose to 207. That average was 22 percent higher than a week ago, with similar surges seen in Utrecht and Eindhoven. The data also suggested infections were rising rapidly in Tilburg and Groningen.
At the same time, the RIVM said on Friday that 66,890 people received a Covid-19 vaccine injection the previous day. That put the Netherlands on pace to distribute about 410 thousand vaccine doses this calendar week, which would be a 76 percent improvement over last week.
The improving vaccination figures reflected more jabs administered at long-term care facilities and by general practitioners at their offices. A new total of 1,236,192 Covid-19 vaccine shots have now been given since January 6, which suggests that about 5.5 percent of the Dutch population has been at least partially vaccinated with the first of a two-dose regimen.
Hospital figures remained relatively stable, with 1,864 Covid-19 patients being treated as in-patients. That figure was down one percent from Thursday, and included 525 people in intensive care and 1,339 others in nursing wards.
The patient total was four percent lower than a week ago. If that rate continues, there will be fewer than 1,800 Covid-19 patients in care by next Friday
To date, 1,079,084 people in the Netherlands have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, including 15,503 who died from Covid-19.