Covid hospital total rises by 149, the most in 13 months; Restrictions to be re-evaluated

There were 1,493 patients being treated for Covid-19 in Dutch hospitals on Monday afternoon, 149 more than the previous day, said patient coordination service LCPS. The increase was the largest reported since December 29, 2020. It equates to a surge of 11 percent in a day, the biggest growth by percentage in seven months.

The hospital total started to steadily fall after reaching a peak on December 9. However, that turned around just over two weeks ago. During that time, the number of patients with the coronavirus disease jumped by a third.

The hospitals were treating 1,279 patients in regular care wards. That was 146 more than on Sunday, after accounting for new admissions, discharges and deaths. It took the regular care total to its highest point since New Year's Eve. The other 214 patients were in intensive care units, a net increase of three. Over the past ten days, the ICU total remained near its lowest level in over three months.

Health Minister Ernst Kuipers said on Monday that the hospital situation would be an important aspect of the Cabinet's conversation about the current slate of coronavirus restrictions. This includes the difficulty hospitals face with workers calling out sick or taking leave. The Cabinet is set to decide about any changes on February 15, with the country's nightlife entrepreneurs, travel providers, and events sector clamoring for more flexibility.

A record high average of over 80,000 people tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus each of the past seven days, according to raw data from the RIVM. That was more than double the average reported on January 21, and more than four-times the value on January 6.

Still, Kuipers said the data shows that, "the number of people who become seriously ill has not shown a comparable increase." He also said that the RIVM predicted that a more proportionate increase in hospitalizations for Covid-19 could happen, and that he would also consider the impact of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus on hospital levels abroad.