Covid infections up sharply to 48,500, five days after restrictions lifted

The number of new coronavirus infections diagnosed between Tuesday and Wednesday morning rose sharply compared to the previous day. The RIVM learned of 48,503 new infections, the most since February 18. That was nearly 12,000 more infections than a day earlier, and nearly 20,000 more infections compared to Monday.

It was the third consecutive day that an increase was registered. It pushed the seven-days moving average up 3 percent to 36,168, though that was still 12 percent lower compared to a week earlier. A combination of raw and corrected data put the average at 35,128.

The positivity rate also rose even higher from February 21-27. During that time, 62.6 percent of all those tested by the GGD were told they were infected. About 53,200 were tested each day during that period, a figure which has fallen consistently after peaking at over 146,400 daily tests at the end of January.

Many coronavirus restrictions were lifted or relaxed on February 18, and nearly all remaining restrictions were scrapped a week later. It allowed businesses to open to maximum capacity in most situations, and without restrictions on operating hours, and eliminated most rules about the use of face masks.

The only remaining restrictions are face mask mandates on public transportation and in airports, and a requirement that people attending large indoor events test negative for the infection before entering. The Cabinet will revisit the national coronavirus policy on March 15.

In the recent round of data, Amsterdam led all cities with 2,606 new infections. That was the most in a single day in the capital in about two weeks. The same was true for Utrecht (1,440), Groningen (1,185), and The Hague (1,127). All four cities posted totals significantly above their daily averages.

Hospitals in the Netherlands were treating 1,445 people with Covid-19 on Wednesday afternoon, an increase of 37 after accounting for new admissions, discharges and deaths. Despite the increase, the total was still about 8 percent lower compared to a week earlier.

Intensive care units were treating 160 of the patients, a net increase of ten. Regular care wards were treating the other 1,285 patients, a net increase of 27. Hospitals admitted 161 Covid-19 patients in the past 24 hours, 17 of whom went to intensive care.