Covid hospitalizations plunge 43%, Infections down 18% in weekly coronavirus figures

Hospitals in the Netherlands admitted 533 patients with Covid-19 during the week ending Tuesday at 10 a.m. That was a 43 percent decrease, according to the RIVM using figures from nonprofit intensive care monitor NICE. The RIVM also said that coronavirus infections for the week showed another steady decline.

”The pressure on hospitals from Covid-19 patients is steadily decreasing. It is important that everyone continues to adhere to the (basic) measures, so that the number of Covid-19 admissions and the number of infections continue to fall,” the RIVM said in a statement.

Just over a fifth of last week’s hospital admissions, 112 patients, were sent to intensive care units. That was down from 196 the previous week. The vaccination program, which largely started with at risk people and the elderly, then has worked its way down to younger, healthier people, has had a continuing impact on the demographics of those in hospital care for the disease.

The RIVM said, “Until mid-May, more than half of the people admitted to hospital with Covid-19 were over 60 years old. In the second half of May, about as many people who were hospitalized with Covid-19 were aged 40-59 as those aged 60-79.”

As of Tuesday, the vaccine was being offered to people aged 39 and up.

An additional 20,608 people tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection over the past seven days. That reflected an 18 percent decrease compared to over 25 thousand positive tests a week earlier.

With 20,608 new people who tested positive between May 26 and 10 a.m. June 1, the number of reports of positive corona tests fell by 18%. There were still about 74 thousand people estimated to be contagious with the disease, though that figure fell below a hundred thousand for the first time since December. The basic reproduction of the virus also dropped to 0.82, meaning 100 contagious people infect an estimated 82 others.

However, testing figures have continued to fall, with another 11 percent decrease last week. The 212,292 people who scheduled their own tests last week was the lowest amount reported since the winter storm and cold snap in February that kept many indoors.