Covid infections rise back towards 20,000; Positivity rate sets new record
A total of 19,838 positive coronavirus tests were diagnosed between Wednesday and Thursday morning, after two consecutive days where the figure was closer to 18,000. The new figure still brought the seven-day moving average down two percent to 20,649, the lowest it has been since November 20.
The moving average was four percent lower compared to a week ago. A combination of raw and corrected data put the figure at 20,608.
Some 22.8 percent of people tested by the GGD between December 1 - 7 were diagnosed with the coronavirus infection. That broke a record of 22.5 percent set on November 22. During that period the number of people tested fell to an average of 81,100 per day, down 16 percent compared to the week before. The decrease could be driven in part by the government asking people to use a self-test kit at the first sign of symptoms before going to the GGD.
The three cities with the most new infections were Rotterdam (816), Amsterdam (684), and The Hague (521). Rotterdam's total was about 19 percent above average, while Amsterdam's was roughly 10 percent below average. Figures in The Hague were about average.
There were 2,848 residents of the Netherlands in hospital care on Thursday afternoon. That figure rose by eight from Wednesday, after accounting for new admissions, discharges, and deaths. That total has gone up one percent in a week.
It includes 644 people in intensive care units, 18 of whom were being treated in German hospitals. The total rose by two in a day. The other 2,204 people were being treated in regular care wards, a net increase of six.
Hospitals in the Netherlands admitted 330 people with Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, including 33 sent directly to an ICU. On average, hospitals took on 310 new patients with the disease each of the past seven days, down 14 percent compared to a week ago.
