Nearly 11,000 coronavirus infections; Covid patient total rises higher

Nearly 11,000 people were diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus between Thursday and Friday morning, the most since July 17 at the peak of the Delta variant wave. It pushed the average number of infections up to 8,877 per day, a figure which has doubled in two weeks. The average number of patients with Covid-19 hospitalized daily also doubled during that time.

The RIVM said that 10,949 people tested positive for the coronavirus infection, which pushed the seven-day average up six percent. The total includes nearly 500 infections in Amsterdam, and about 350 each in The Hague and Rotterdam, the most in either of the three cities in over 15 weeks. Infections were also high in Tilburg (188), Utrecht (155), Almere (129), Apeldoorn (110) and Haarlem (110).

About 17.5 percent of people tested by the GGD are still testing positive, based on seven days of data through November 3. That has remained at a one-year high. Also high is the basic reproduction (R) number, which was updated to 1.18. That means 100 people contagious with the virus infected 118 others, who in turn infected 139 people.

The seven-day average of 8,877 has increased every day since October 3 when the value was 1,672, less than one-fifth the current total, based solely on raw data from the RIVM. The continuous increase is likely to translate to an escalation in the number of patients who require hospitalization for Covid-19. The hospitalization total itself has doubled in 15 days, and the active number of patients in treatment has tripled since October 3.

Hospitals were treating 1,350 people with Covid-19 on Friday afternoon, a two percent increase in a day. The figure jumped by a third in a week, though the growth could be slowing down somewhat. A similar 32 percent increase would put the figure at nearly 1,800.

The current patient total includes 286 patients in intensive care units, an increase of 13 after accounting for new admissions, discharges, and deaths. The last time the ICU total was that high was on June 10. The other 1,064 patients were being treated in regular care wards, a net increase of 10.

During the past 24 hours, hospitals admitted 196 people with Covid-19. That includes 22 sent directly to an intensive care unit. On average, hospitals admitted 177 people with the disease each of the past seven days, a 33 percent hike over the previous week. That includes 22 sent directly to an ICU, up from 18.

To date, 2,177,707 positive coronavirus tests have been recorded by the RIVM.