Skyrocketing Covid infections: Over 65,000 test positive and data backlog worsening

A record 65,393 people tested positive for the coronavirus between Saturday and Sunday morning, besting the previous single-day record set earlier in the week by nearly 8,000. The number of infections may also not accurately reflect the number of people who tested positive. The RIVM confirmed that they still have a significant amount of data missing from their records.

The health institute said that the volume of people testing positive remains too high for the systems at the GGD to handle it all, and thus not everything is being passed on to the RIVM. “Therefore, the figures portray an underreporting of approximately 48,000 reports over the past 6 days,” the organization said. Despite efforts to address the IT shortcomings, that figure rose by 2,000 since Saturday, and by 21,000 since Thursday.

The seven-day average now stands at a record-high 45,903, an increase of 42 percent in a week. If the missing data were included, the average would be near 52,800, reflecting a 63 percent week-to-week increase. In either case, the seven-day average has effectively doubled in 14 days’ time, and quadrupled since the end of December.

About 44 percent of people tested by the GGD during the January 15-21 period received a positive diagnosis, continuing the record-breaking trend. Almost 124,800 tested positive each of day in that period, up about a third in a week.

The three cities with the most infections in the latest data were Amsterdam (4,701), The Hague (4,443), and Rotterdam (2,450). It was not clear which cities were most affected by missing data. There were also stunningly high infection figures reported in Zaanstad (1,178), Enschede (1,127), and Zoetermeer (1,077).

The increase in infections was not unexpected. When the Dutch Cabinet released some lockdown restrictions last weekend, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said it would likely lead to up to 80,000 positive coronavirus tests per day on average. The Cabinet is considering relaxing even more restrictions in the hospitality, cultural, events and sports sectors. The Outbreak Management Team formally recommended that all organizations be allowed to open their doors every day with an 8 p.m. closing time, due to hospitalizations linked to the virus remaining below projections.

There were 1,093 people in Dutch hospitals with Covid-19 on Sunday afternoon. That figure rose by ten in a day, the first net increase in a week. The total remained ten percent lower compared to a week earlier.

There were 275 patients in intensive care units, 12 fewer than on Saturday after accounting for new admissions, discharges and deaths. The ICU total was at its lowest point since November 4. The other 818 patients were in regular care wards, a net increase of 22, but with a total that was still lower than on Friday.

Dutch hospitals admitted 100 patients with Covid-19 in the previous 24 hours, eight of whom were sent directly to intensive care units. On average, hospitals admitted 118 patients each of the past seven days, 7 percent lower than a week earlier.