Weekly report shows 14.5% tested positive for coronavirus; 2nd straight fall

Some 14.5 percent of those who self-reported to the municipal health services with symptoms of Covid-19 came back positive with an infection of the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus. While that showed continued improvement, a further 565 deaths from Covid-19 were reported to the RIVM during the seven-day period. That shot up by 30 percent.

During the 45th week of the year, ending at Tuesday at 10 a.m., some 244,839 people were tested by the GGD, with 35,349 coming back positive and 1,498 still awaiting results. Corrected figures from the previous week's report show that 16.6 tested positive, signaling the second straight week of improving infection rates in the Netherlands. During the 43rd week of the year, that figure was at 18.4 percent.

The RIVM data showed that, for the first time since mid-June, the basic reproduction (R) number of the virus dropped below 1.00. The estimated R-number was 0.91, meaning that 100 contagious people will infect 91 others. The Cabinet has repeatedly stressed since September that the restrictions and policies it has imposed on the Netherlands, including the partial lockdown that started October 14, were created with the intention of bringing down the R-number.

An additional 8,272 tested positive for the viral infection at other locations not managed by the GGD, raising the total number of infections for the seven-day period to 43,621. That was down almost 32 percent compared to a week ago.

At the same time, there was some concern that the increase in testing by commercial firms outside of the purview of the GGD could be affecting the results. The commercial test centers were not required to report the total figures of those being tested privately to the GGD and thus public health agency RIVM.

Over 50,500 fewer people were tested by the GGD during the 45th week, compared to the previous week.

Despite that concern, the RIVM said that all regions showed per capita improvements when it came to the number of infected residents. "The regions with the highest number of reports per 100,000 inhabitants are Rotterdam-Rijnmond, Twente, Zuid-Holland-Zuid; these regions had more than 350 reports per 100,000 inhabitants," the agency stated. "The regions with the greatest decline are Groningen and Noord en Oost Gelderland. These regions had a decline of more than 40% from the week before."

Still, some 145 thousand people were believed to be contagious with the virus in the Netherlands, the RIVM said. While that figure "remains high", it has still shown consistent improvement, including a near 13 percent fall versus the previous week.

During the 45th week, some 1,520 people were treated outside of an intensive care unit for Covid-19, a decrease of 23 percent compared to the previous week. The ICU system also admitted 275 patients with the coronavirus disease, a decrease of 14 percent.

To date, a total of 419,412 have tested positive for the coronavirus infection, according to the RIVM. Of that group, 21,785 people have been hospitalized in a regular care ward, and 4,903 patients were admitted into intensive care, nonprofit organization NICE said.

Tuesday's data pushed the total number of deaths in the Netherlands up to 8,141.