Dutch Covid surge continues with 28,000 more infections; Hospital total rebounds

An estimated 27,993 people tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus between Sunday and Monday morning, the RIVM said. That pushed the seven day moving average up for the 13th consecutive day. The figure rose by 8 percent to 27,348, according to raw data from the Dutch public health institute.

It was the third in a row that the average set an all-time record high. The average has gone up 83 percent in a week, according to raw data. A combination of raw and corrected data put the figure at 27,295. Roughly 79,600 people were tested by the GGD each day from January 2 - 8, with 34.1 percent testing positive. The number of tests completed rose by about two-thirds compared to the previous week-long period.

The latest data includes 2,398 new infections in Amsterdam. The capital's average rose by 131 percent in the past week to 2,459, a record. Another 1,310 residents of Rotterdam tested positive, bringing that city's average to 1,476, up 113 percent in a week. A total of 887 people tested positive in The Hague, roughly the same as the average there, which has doubled since last Monday.

Preliminary data continued to show that a disproportionately high number of infections were diagnosed among people between 10 and 39 years of age. At the same time, patients over 60 are more commonly hospitalized due to serious symptoms of Covid-19.

After six days of declines, the number of Covid-19 patients being treated in hospitals rose by 4 percent in a day to 1,535. The figure was still 12 percent lower compared to a week ago. Among them were 405 patients in intensive care units, a net decrease of one, and 1,130 in regular care wards, a net increase of 57. Nine of the ICU patients were being treated in German facilities.

Dutch hospitals admitted 136 new Covid-19 patients between Sunday and Monday afternoon, including 21 sent directly to intensive care units. On average, 145 patients were admitted each of the past seven days, a 13 percent decrease in a week.