Daily coronavirus total below 13,000 for the first time in a month

Some 12,852 coronavirus infections were diagnosed between Monday and Tuesday morning, according to the RIVM. That was the first time the figure fell below 13,000 since November 14, a day in which the daily report was likely inaccurate due to an IT error. Before November 10, the daily total never reached the 13,000 mark.

Tuesday's figure brought the seven-day average down to 16,677, the lowest it has been since November 16. The average, based solely on raw data, has gone down by 21 percent in a week. A combination of raw and corrected data put the average at 16,640.

Those tested by the GGD last calendar week were diagnosed with the coronavirus infection 23.4 percent of the time. The RIVM said that figure was likely higher because more people are using self-test kits at home. When those return a negative result, people are less likely to schedule a test with the GGD. A positive self-test often prompts people to get a confirmation from the GGD, which eventually makes a Covid-19 recovery certificate accessible in the CoronaCheck app. Testing has plunged from about 100,000 per day down to about 65,000 daily.

The three cities with the most new infections in Tuesday's data were Amsterdam (473), Rotterdam (452), and The Hague (335). All three posted totals about a fourth below their respective moving averages.

Hospitals were treating 2,764 people with Covid-19 on Tuesday afternoon. That was just four fewer than on Monday, after taking new admissions, patient discharges, and deaths into account. The total fell by about three percent compared to a week earlier. A similar decrease would bring the tally back down below 2,700.

The current total includes 654 people in intensive care units, a net increase of four. Out of that group, 20 were patients transferred across the border to German hospitals to relieve the pressure on the Dutch system. The other 2,110 were being treated in regular care wards, a net decrease of eight.

Dutch hospitals admitted 298 Covid-19 patients in the past 24 hours, including 47 sent directly to an intensive care unit. On average, 302 patients were admitted each of the past seven days, down 6 percent compared to a week ago. The average includes 40 sent directly to an ICU on a daily basis.

The decrease in hospital admissions is beneficial, but the effect of it will not likely be seen in Dutch medical centers for some time longer, said acute care leader Ernst Kuipers. Regularly scheduled care can only return to normal when fewer than 20 Covid-19 patients are admitted into intensive care on a daily basis, he stated.