Dutch coronavirus average down 18% in a week; Covid hospital total jumps 9% in a day

An average of 8,119 people were diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection on each of the past seven days, reflecting an 18 percent decrease one week after the July surge in daily infections peaked in the Netherlands.

Public health agency RIVM said that another 6,453 people tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection, the fourth consecutive day that total has been below seven thousand. That brought the seven-day moving average down eight percent in a day.

The three cities with the most new infections were Amsterdam (467), Rotterdam (385) and The Hague (161). Amsterdam's moving average has fallen 40 percent in a week to 686, while a 20 percent drop was reported in Rotterdam and the Hague.

Both Groningen (169) and Utrecht (181) have reported seven-day averages down roughly 60 percent in a week.

There was some concern that the DDoS attacks being carried out against the GGD was impacting how many people were scheduling a coronavirus test. Indeed preliminary data showed a downward trend in the number of tests carried out, but also a downward trend in the percentage of people who tested positive.

Covid-19 hospital patient total up 9 percent to 477

Dutch hospitals were treating 41 more patients with Covid-19 on Friday compared to a day earlier. The nine percent increase pushed the hospitalized total up to 477, the most since June 21.

The increase was entirely within the regular care wards, which were treating 370 people with the disease. The other 107 patients were being treated in intensive care units, the same as on Thursday after accounting for admissions, discharges and deaths.

Hospitals admitted a total of 84 patients with Covid-19 between the afternoons of Thursday and Friday, including seven sent straight to an ICU. On average, 70 patients with the disease were admitted on each of the past seven days, the highest that average has been since June 5. About ten new patients daily were sent directly to intensive care.

The rising figures were expected to continue for at least the short-term, though there were some signs the hospital total could be starting to stabilize. Still, the combined total of 477 was 80 percent higher compared to a week ago.

A similar increase would push the total up to 865 within a week.