42,472 Covid cases shatters yesterday's record; New hospitalizations at 12-week low

A total of 42,472 people tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus between Sunday and Monday morning, topping the record set a day earlier by over 6,100. That pushed the seven-day moving average up 6 percent to a new record, 34,422. It was the 10th consecutive day that the average set a new record. The figure has been on the rise daily since December 28.

The three cities with the most new infections were Amsterdam (3,328), Rotterdam (1,891), and Utrecht (1,502), which set a new local record. Another 1,411 residents of The Hague also tested positive for the coronavirus.

During a press conference on Friday, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that by releasing some lockdown restrictions over the weekend, the Cabinet was expecting daily infections to rise to between 75,000 and 80,000 per day. At the same time, the infections have spread more rapidly among people younger than 40 since the Omicron wave of infections began.

About 36 percent of those tested by the GGD during the seven-day period ending on January 15 received a positive diagnosis for the coronavirus. An average of 97,200 tests were completed each of those days.

The dramatic recent increase in infections has not yet led to a surge in Covid-19 hospitalizations, but it is not clear how that will change as infections rise higher, or if the variant begins to spread rapidly in older populations. However, patient coordination office LCPS said it expects the influx of Covid-19 patients to rise again later this month.

The LCPS said 93 patients with Covid-19 were admitted between Sunday and Monday afternoon. That was the lowest total in 12 weeks, and continued a trend of declining daily hospital admissions linked to the disease. An average of 120 people were admitted each of the past seven days, 17 percent lower than a week earlier.

There were 1,240 people with Covid-19 in hospitals on Monday, a net increase of 2 percent after accounting for new admissions, discharges and deaths. It was the first time the figure rose in a week. Still, the hospital total remained 19 percent lower than last Monday. A similar reduction would bring the hospital tally down to 1,000.

Some 317 Covid-19 patients were in intensive care units, a net increase of five. The other 923 people were in regular care wards, a net increase of 17.