Coronavirus spread faster this week; risk levels may increase on ECDC map

The coronavirus spread more rapidly this week than it did last week. As a result, the risk levels in some regions will probably increase and the Netherlands may turn a darker shade of red on the ECDC map. Should the increase continue, this could mean that certain measures will continue to stay in place in September.

There have been 18,104 positive tests, according to the RIVM. That is an increase of eight percent compared to the previous week when 16,372 were recorded. It was the largest weekly increase since the peak of the fourth wave in July.

The increase was greatest in the Zaanstreek-Waterland region where 514 tested positive this week compared to 361 last week. That is an increase of more than 42 percent.

In Friesland, the number of new cases rose by 35 percent and in Gelderland-Midden, Kennemerland, Gooi en Vechtstreek and Holland Midden the number of cases rose by more than 20 percent. In total, 18 out of the 25 security regions reported an increase in the number of new cases.

Currently, five regions, Amsterdam-Amstelland, Rotterdam-Rijnmond, Haaglanden, Twente and Flevoland, are at the highest risk level on the national risk-level map. Based on the additional cases recorded this week, the risk levels will likely rise in at least four regions. Twente may drop from the highest to the second-highest risk level.

The European coronavirus map may also change for some provinces. Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland and Flevoland may remain red. Overijssel and Friesland threaten to turn red. The rest of the country will likely stay orange.

When the Netherlands turned dark red on the ECDC map in July, several countries such as Germany and France introduced stricter measures for travelers coming from the Netherlands.