Dutch Covid hospital total rises for 6th straight day; Up 69% in a week

The number of patients being treated for Covid-19 in Dutch hospitals continued to climb for the sixth consecutive day. The hospital total increased by 50 patients to 361 on Monday, a 16 percent jump in a day.

The total was the highest number of patients in care since June 25. All told, the patient total has jumped up by 69 percent in a week. Hospitals showed their strongest rate of increase in Covid-19 patients since October 2020.

Health Minister Hugo de Jonge downplayed the recent rise, saying on Monday, "Fortunately [the high number of coronavirus infections] has not yet led to a major increase at the hospitals. Let's keep it that way."

A similar 69 percent increase would put the hospital total at 620 Covid-19 patients by the start of next week. Acute care expert Ernst Kuipers expected the patient total to reach at least 800 because of the July spike in coronavirus infections.

The current total of 361 included 84 people in intensive care, an increase of eight after accounting for admissions, discharges and deaths. That was the first time that figure rose above eighty in a week.

There were 277 more patients in regular care wards, a net increase of 42. The regular care departments have shown a growing trend in patients with the coronavirus disease since hitting a low on July 7. That was eleven days after the government lifted most coronavirus restrictions in the Netherlands, a move for which Prime Minister Mark Rutte has since apologized.

Hospitals in the country admitted 63 new patients with Covid-19 between the afternoons of Sunday and Monday. That was the most in a day since June 5, and included nine patients sent to intensive care. On average, hospitals took on 42 new Covid-19 patients daily over the past week, the most in a month.

Coronavirus average rises for 19th straight day

At the start of the month, one person contagious with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus likely infected 2.91 others. That was evident from the surge in infections in July with nearly 125 thousand people testing positive for the viral infection, including another 8,932 people diagnosed in the past day, according to RIVM data.

That pushed the seven-day moving average up to 10,160, still the most since December 27. The seven-day average has gone up by 52 percent in a week, but the growth showed signs of stabilizing and slowing down, De Jonge said.

The daily total released on Monday showed a very sudden drop in infections in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, suggesting the continuation of a weekend effect where data is delayed due to staffing issues, or because residents in the past have tended to avoid getting tested on the weekends if possible.

There were 588 infections in Amsterdam, well below its moving average of 1,051. Rotterdam was home to another 482 infected residents, with an average of 637. Some 383 people tested positive in The Hague, bringing that city's average up to 293.

To date, people have tested positive for the coronavirus infection 1,807,444 times in the Netherlands. Over 19 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered, though estimates from the RIVM are no longer updated daily.

More comprehensive data about the Dutch vaccination program will be released on Tuesday afternoon.