Weekly coronavirus infections rose 42 percent; Hospital cases up sharply

Official coronavirus data for the week ending Tuesday at 10 a.m. showed a dramatic increase in SARS-CoV-2 infections while Covid-19 hospitalizations grew by 29 percent, deaths linked to the coronavirus disease showed a decrease. Testing for the virus rose, so too did the percentage of people who tested positive.

"The first effects of the measures announced by the cabinet on September 30 are expected to become visible from next week at the earliest," the RIVM said. Initially, this should show a stabilization or decrease in new infections, which eventually will translate into a reduction in hospital admissions. "We therefore do not expect a decrease [in hospital patients] before mid-October."

Some 27,485 people tested positive for the virus, according to public health agency RIVM, an increase of 42 percent compared to the previous week. Approximately 222,877 people were tested for the viral infection, with results known in just under half of all cases.

Out of that group, 10,057 tested positive, or 9.1 percent. A week earlier, that figure stood at 8.0 percent, the RIVM said. Some 522 of those who tested positive traveled two weeks before their test, Germany (137), Italy (92) and France (58) the most visited.

For the second consecutive week, the basic reproduction (R) number of the SARS-CoV-2 virus fell. On Tuesday it stood at 1.17, meaning 100 contagious people will infect 117 others, down from 127 a week ago.

Another 89 deaths reported to the agency last week were caused by Covid-19. That was down from 102 during the previous week. Those who died ranged in age from 50 to 95.

The agency used statistics from nonprofit organization NICE to show a 22 percent bump in ICU admissions for Covid-19, and a 60 percent jump in admissions outside of the ICU, the latter totaling 803. Officially, the RIVM said that 314 hospital admissions were reported to the agency by Tuesday morning, about 70 more than the previous week. That reflected an increase of 29 percent, though often this data is delayed by days or even weeks before it is sent from the hospital to the municipal health service, and then passed on to the RIVM.

The RIVM also said it was changing how it would report the estimated number of contagious individuals beginning next Tuesday. That figure last week was at approximately 146 thousand.