Covid infection seven-day average drops 30% in a week

The number of new coronavirus infections is again much lower than the day before. On Sunday, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) reported 34,846 positive tests, compared to the corrected figure of 41,581 the day before.

On Friday, 49,282 positive tests were reported, 54,411 on Thursday, and 60,731 on Wednesday. As a result, the seven-day average fell to 48,680 on Sunday. It is the ninth day in a row the average has fallen, and it has dropped by 30 percent this calendar week.

The most new infections were found in Amsterdam at 1,377, followed by Rotterdam (1,128), Utrecht (877), The Hague (804) and Groningen (678). The RIVM has been notified of eight new deaths as a result of the coronavirus infection in the past 24 hours. However, it sometimes takes a while for deaths to be reported, so the deaths might not all have taken place within the past 24 hours. There is also no obligation to report the deaths to the RIVM.

Meanwhile, the number of patients with Covid-19 in Dutch hospitals increased somewhat in the past 24 hours. The increase came a day after the sharpest single-day decrease on record.

On Sunday, a total of 1,860 people with a coronavirus infection were in the hospitals, according to figures from the LCPS, the organization monitoring the crowd levels in Dutch hospitals. The patient total is 56 more than on Saturday, or about a 3 percent increase.

Some 137 Covid-19 patients were in intensive care on Sunday, two fewer than a day earlier. In the regular care wards, 1,723 patients were being treated for the coronavirus disease, compared to 1,665 a day earlier. Eighteen new patients were admitted to the ICUs and 179 to the regular care wards since Saturday afternoon.

According to the LCPS, there is an apparent leveling off of new hospital admissions and occupancy levels. The number of patients in the intensive care units is expected to remain stable in the coming days. The same applies to the regular care wards, although a slight increase is still a possibility.

The LCPS does not distinguish between patients who are receiving care for symptoms of Covid-19, and those who are infected with the coronavirus but are in treatment for another health issue. This distinction does not change the pressure on the hospital system, according to the LCPS. All patients infected with the virus must be cared for in isolation, which takes extra time and resources.