Covid hospital total falls to 75-day low; No weekend hospital data expected

Hospitals in the Netherlands were treating 1,238 people with Covid-19 on Friday afternoon, the lowest total in 75 days. The figure fell by 69 since Thursday, after accounting for new admissions, discharges, and deaths. The tally was 20 percent lower compared to a week earlier, and 40 percent lower than on March 29.

The intensive care total rose by seven to 101, the first time the figure has been above one hundred in five days. After falling to 86 on Monday, the lowest level in more than eight months, the ICU total creeped back up, though it remained consistent for April and relatively low. The other 1,137 patients were in regular care wards, a net decrease of 76 that took that specific patient total to its lowest point in over two months.

Hospitals admitted 141 patients with the disease in the past 24 hours, including 11 sent to intensive care. On average, 134 patients were admitted each of the past seven days, down 18 percent in a week.

With patient figures consistently declining this month, patient coordination service LCPS said it would stop reporting hospital figures on weekends with immediate effect. "Because the COVID figures have been falling for some time, monitoring on working days currently provides the LCPS with sufficient information," the organization said.

"Despite declining numbers of COVID patients, the pressure on the healthcare system remains high. This is due to various factors such as delayed care and high absenteeism due to illness. It is therefore essential that we continue to monitor the pressure in the healthcare chain," the LCPS stated.

A total of 4,133 people were diagnosed with Covid-19 between Thursday and Friday morning. That was the lowest single-day total since October 19. Starting this week, the Dutch government stopped advising people to visit the GGD for an official PCR test after producing a positive self-test at home.

Regardless, the seven-day moving average has fallen every day, starting on March 12. The average stood at 6,252 on Friday, 52 percent lower than a week earlier.

The three cities with the most new infections were Amsterdam (248), The Hague (149), and Rotterdam (134). Both Amsterdam and The Hague were about one-fourth below average, while Rotterdam's total was roughly 45 percent below its mean.