Covid hospitalizations at highest point since Christmas; Over 72,000 new infections
Hospitalizations linked to Covid-19 have been on the rise in the Netherlands for over two weeks, with an average of 192 new patients admitted each of the past seven days. That is the most since December 24, with hospitalizations up by about two-thirds compared to mid-January.
The hospitals took on 186 patients with the disease between Thursday and Friday afternoon, according to the LCPS. Despite that, the number of patients in active care fell by one percent, the first decrease in six days. There were 214 patients with the disease in intensive care units, a net decrease of four. Another 1,152 people were in regular care wards, a net decrease of 16.
The combined total of 1,366 was about 20 percent higher compared to last Friday. A similar increase would push the hospital total up to 1,642.
The latest data about coronavirus infections in the Netherlands remained inaccurate, with the RIVM and the GGD still struggling to keep up with the volume of positive tests for the viral infection. The RIVM said that it has not yet registered 124,000 positive tests taken over the past 18 days, a figure which rose from 113,000 on Thursday.
Officially, the public health institute recorded 72,162 new infections between Thursday and Friday morning. That brought the seven-day moving average down less than one percent to 79,289. The figure was still 30 percent higher compared to a week ago. However, with the backlog fluctuating, it is unclear how many infections are being uncovered daily in the Netherlands. What is clear is that at least 1.26 million infections were diagnosed since the backlog started.
Just under 60 percent of people tested by the GGD during the seven-day period ending on February 1 received a positive diagnosis. Over a million people were tested during that time.
The three cities with the most new infections in the latest round of data were The Hague (2,898), Amsterdam (2,805), and Utrecht (2,663). Rotterdam only counted for 1,343 new infections, more than 54 percent below its average.