Big decrease in Covid-19 cases: Fewer than 100 in Dutch hospitals

For the first time since early March, the number of hospitalized patients being treated for Covid-19 in the Netherlands fell below 100 on Saturday. All hospital departments combined for a substantial decrease of 24 percent in patients receiving care for the coronavirus disease, according to patient coordination office LCPS.

Most of the decrease was attributed to all hospital departments excluding the intensive care unit. Those departments were caring for 76 admitted patients on Saturday, 27 fewer than the previous day. The intensive care units across the Netherlands were treating just 18 people for the coronavirus disease, a decrease of two and the lowest total since March 6.

"Fortunately, the decrease in the number of COVID patients continues," said Ernst Kuipers, the chair of the Dutch acute care providers network. "The total number of COVID patients admitted is now below 100. That is reassuring."

The number of newly discovered patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for Covid-19 remained at 0.4 per 100,000 residents on Saturday. That figure has been below 0.5 since June 26, its lowest point since the start of testing in early March.

Over the last three days, intensive care units admitted two new patients, according to Dutch government figures. Other hospital departments also admitted five patients since Wednesday.

In total, 2,925 people have required intensive care for Covid-19, with 866 dying in the ICU, according to nonprofit organization NICE. Some 1,834 who were treated in intensive care later recovered and were discharged.