Health

Another 13 people were confirmed to have died from Covid-19, public health agency RIVM said on Thursday. Three people were known to have died on Wednesday, and three more deaths took place on Tuesday for five in total. The rest took place in the five weeks prior.

The Dutch death toll rose to 5,990 with the latest update.

Twelve more people were also known to have been hospitalized for the coronavirus disease. The RIVM said at least eight people were admitted between Monday and Tuesday. To date, 11,771 have required treatment in a hospital for the viral infection.

The government should continue to encourage employees to work from home in order to prevent everyone from taking the car or public transit again after the summer, according to the Coronavirus Crisis Think Tank, an initiative of the social and economic council SER. In education, a combination of online and physical education must be found, the think tank said, Het Parool reports.

Primary school De Springbok in The Hague closed its doors after two teachers tested positive for the coronavirus, a spokesperson for umbrella organization De Haagse Scholen confirmed to NU.nl. The school board decided to close the primary school as a precaution and go back to distance learning for the time being.

The two infected teachers have been at home since the weekend. They received their test results on Tuesday. Seven pupils also started showing symptoms that could indicate a coronavirus infection. They will be tested soon.

Public health agency RIVM confirmed the deaths of ten people who had been diagnosed with Covid-19. The ten all died between May 30 and June 2, the RIVM said.

It includes the first two known deaths on Tuesday, and it effectively doubled the weekend total to 14. Three more people died on Monday in addition to the two that the agency previously disclosed.

A total of 5,977 have died in the Netherlands from the coronavirus disease. At least 11,759 have required treatment in a hospital since the pandemic began, an increase of 9 compared to figures released on Tuesday.

Almost 16 thousand appointments for coronavirus tests were made through the national hotline since it launched on Monday, an increase of about 10 thousand. So far health service GGD tested nearly 9,600 people, 94 of whom tested positive. That means that around 1 percent of tested people had the coronavirus, RTL Nieuws reports.

The Covid-19 test hotline was called an average of 27 thousand times per hour, or about 7.5 times per second, on Monday, the first day it was open to the public. Anyone residing in the Netherlands was given the opportunity to schedule an appointment to be tested for the coronavirus disease starting June 1.

The large gathering of protestors in Amsterdam's Dam Square on Monday distressed many healthcare workers, said Ernst Kuipers, the chair of the Dutch acute care network. "There were about 5,000 people from all over the country, who were close to each other for a long time, and do not directly know most of the bystanders," he said, noting that those in health care watched events unfold "with horror," according to broadcaster NOS.

Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema was criticized for not intervening in a massive protest against racism and police brutality on Dam Square on Monday. Some 5 thousand demonstrators gathered at the square, without keeping 1.5 meters apart. This demonstration may well be a "super spreading event" when it comes ot the coronavirus, Menno de Jong, virologist and member of the government's Outbreak Management Team, said to Het Parool.

The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care fell slightly on Monday to 158, a decrease of one compared to Sunday. The patient total was 89 percent lower than the peak of 1,417 patients reported on April 9 by patient coordination office LCPS.

The as-Soennah mosque in The Hague decided to temporarily cease all its activities, including online activities, due to an outbreak of the coronavirus in the Muslim community in the city. Over the weekend, the Al Madinah Mosque in the city did the same after at least 21 members of the community tested positive for the coronavirus, including an elderly member who succumbed to the disease.

From today, everyone with even mild symptoms that could indicate a coronavirus infection can make an appointment with health service GGD to be tested. Those with symptoms like a fever, coughing, sneezing or shortness of breath can call 0800-1202 to make an appointment. The number is free to call and will be available between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. daily.