Covid data backlog worsens as 42% test positive; Hospital total below 1,100

A total of 46,219 people in the Netherlands tested positive for the coronavirus between Friday and Saturday morning, but the data provided by Dutch health authorities continued to be lacking in accuracy for a fifth straight day. The high number of people getting tested for the coronavirus, with an average of 42.4 percent receiving a positive diagnosis, has made it impossible for the RIVM to collect and disseminate all of the data regarding new infections.

“Currently, it is not possible to process the high number of reports that come in from the test venues into the GGD’s systems,” the RIVM said, which then does not get passed on to the health institute. “Therefore, the figures relate to an underreporting of approximately 46,000 reports over the past 5 days.” A day earlier, the RIVM said the backlog regarded approximately 30,000 infection records, and the figure stood at 27,000 the day before.

Based solely on raw data, the seven-day average rose to set yet another record at 41,748, about 31 percent higher in a week. However, if the missing data were added to Saturday’s data update, the seven-day average would top 48,319, roughly 52 percent higher in a week. With the release of some lockdown restrictions last weekend, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he expected the average to rise to between 75,000 and 80,000 infections per day. The Cabinet was reportedly advised to release more restrictions at a press conference next week, which could send the total even higher.

Some 120,025 people were tested for the coronavirus from January 14 - 20. During that time, 42.4 percent tested positive for the coronavirus infection.

As proof that Saturday’s data was highly inconsistent, the city of Rotterdam led all municipalities with 5,542 new infections, setting a single-day record for all municipalities. The total was 2.5-times that city’s moving average of 2,223. At the same time, Eindhoven, reported just 58 new infections, roughly one-tenth of its average. Other notably high totals included Amsterdam (2,816), The Hague (1,744), Almere (985), Schiedam (685), Vlaardingen (648), and Utrecht (626).

Hospitals in the Netherlands were treating fewer than 1,100 people with Covid-19 for the first time since October 30. There were 1,083 patients with the disease in treatment on Saturday afternoon, 25 fewer than the previous day. The hospital total was about 11 percent lower compared to the previous week.

There were 287 people in intensive care units, the same as on Friday. The other 796 patients were in regular care wards, the lowest reported total since October 28.

Dutch hospitals admitted an above-average number of new Covid-19 patients for the fourth day in a row, with 132 new patients admitted. That includes eight sent directly to an intensive care unit. On average, hospitals admitted 118 patients with the disease each of the past seven days, about 8 percent lower than the previous week.