Netherlands had relatively few Covid cases in September

Relatively few people tested positive for the coronavirus in September. The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) reported 62,218 confirmed coronavirus cases during the month, an average of 2,074 per day. In the past year, there's only been one month with fewer positive tests: June of this year counted 36,139 coronavirus cases.

Exactly one year ago, in September 2020, the RIVM reported 50,008 positive tests. On an annual basis, the number of cases in that month therefore increased by 24 percent. That is the smallest increase since the start of the outbreak. In August of this year, the RIVM reported 75,670 coronavirus cases, 363 percent more than in August 2020. Due to the fourth wave, there were 4,213 percent more positive tests in July this year than in July 2020. In May of this year, during the third wave, there were 2,046 percent more positive tests than in May 2020.

In Amsterdam, 3,967 residents tested positive in September, against 6,328 in August and 18,068 in July. Rotterdam registered 3,877 coronavirus cases in September, The Hague 2,947 and Utrecht 1,745. Schiermonnikooog and Vlieland both counted a single positive test in the entire month, Ameland had two new cases, and Rozendaal near Arnhem registered three positive tests in September.

Friesland had relatively the most positive tests among the provinces. In September, 3,238 new coronavirus cases were registered there, or almost 500 for every 100,000 inhabitants. That means that 1 in every 200 Friesland residents was infected in September. In August, when significantly more people tested positive in the Netherlands as a whole, Friesland had fewer confirmed infections at 2,715.