Excess mortality in NL rising again

Just a week after Statistics Netherlands reported that there was no excess mortality in the country for the first time since September, the stats office said on Friday that the number of deaths last week was again higher than expected for the period.

Last week, 15 to 21 February and the seventh week of the year, an estimated 3,600 people died. That is over 150 deaths more than expected for this period and about 80 deaths more than the week before.

Mortality in the Netherlands started increasing to above expected in week 39 of 2020, September 21 to 27, coinciding with the second wave of coronavirus infections in the Netherlands. Since the start of this year, the number of extra deaths started decreasing, reaching expected levels in week six. But that downward trend has now come to an end.

Statistics Netherlands' figures are based on deaths reported to the stats office on a daily basis. The cause of death is not included in these reports. For last week, public health institute RIVM recorded 301 coronavirus related deaths.