Record 74,085 new coronavirus infections; Uncounted data piling up

The Netherlands set a new record for most coronavirus infections diagnosed in a single day, with 74,085 positive tests registered between Thursday and Friday morning. That easily beat the previous record set six days earlier by over 9,500. However, the actual number of positive tests is unknown to the RIVM, the Dutch public health institute. The number of positive results has been so high during the past two weeks, that it has overwhelmed the IT systems of the GGD and the RIVM.

Roughly 76,000 tests have yet to be logged into the system dating as far back as January 17. That figure rose by 4,000 compared to Thursday. A week ago, the backlog stood at about 30,000.

Officially, the seven-day moving average reached a new record for the 21st consecutive day. The average stood at 61,135, a 54 percent increase in a week, according to raw data from the institute. If all of the missing data had been added to Friday's total, the average would be just shy of 72,000.

Roughly 49 percent of those tested by the GGD during the January 20-26 period received a positive diagnosis for the coronavirus infection. During that time, more than 143,750 were tested each day on average. Both figures set new records in the Netherlands. The RIVM also said the basic reproduction (R) value rose to 1.27 by January 13, indicated that 100 people contagious with the virus at that time infected 127 others, who then passed on the coronavirus to another 161.

The three cities with the most new infections were Rotterdam (3,741), Amsterdam (3,374), and The Hague (3,051). That was the first time ever that the three cities each posted a figure above the 3,000 mark. The capital's average has gone up a fourth in a week to 3,785, and Rotterdam's average has nearly doubled to 3,085. In The Hague, the average has gone up 70 percent to 2,440, though it remains unclear which regions are most affected by the ongoing data issue.

Hospitals in the Netherlands were treating 1,141 people with Covid-19, about three percent more than a week ago. It was the fourth time this week that the hospital total rose in a one-day period, having increased by 10 patients since Thursday afternoon, after accounting for new admissions, discharges and deaths.

There were 238 patients in intensive care units, a net increase of five. That was the first time the figure rose since January 17. The other 903 patients were in regular care wards, also a net increase of five.

Dutch hospitals admitted 160 patients with Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, including 17 sent directly to intensive care units. On average, hospitals admitted 142 patients with the disease each of the past seven days, up 19 percent in a week. Almost a thousand new Covid-19 patients entered hospitals during the past week.