New coronavirus cases at lowest point in 44 days

Some 4,320 more people in the Netherlands were diagnosed with an infection of the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus, according to new daily data released by the RIVM on Tuesday. It was the lowest single day total since October 4.

The figure was about 11 percent lower than on Monday, and eight percent lower than a week ago, the public health agency's data showed. It raised this week's total number of infections to 9,193, a slight two percent drop compared to the same period last week.

The seven-day rolling average stood at 5,397 after the new data was released.

Of all 355 municipalities, Amsterdam (229) was the city with the most newly-infected residents even though its tally was ten percent lower than a week ago. Rotterdam (206) showed four percent gain compared to last week, and The Hague (117) posted a 34 percent drop.

Hospitals admitted 256 patients into regular care wards for Covid-19 during the 24 hours leading into Tuesday afternoon, the most in about a week, with the seven-day average rising to 210. Over that same time period, 38 patients were moved into an intensive care unit, according to patient coordination office LCPS.

The total number of current patients being treated in Dutch hospitals for Covid-19 rose by 16 to 2,146. While that was still over six percent lower than a week ago, it was the first time in over two weeks that the hospital total rose on consecutive days. The patient total included 576 patients in an ICU, a rise of three, and 1,570 outside the ICU system, up 13 compared to Monday.

To date, hospitals have treated 23,062 people in regular care departments for Covid-19, and 5,139 patients were admitted into intensive care. According to data from nonprofit organization NICE, 4,468 of all coronavirus hospital patients died during treatment.

Deaths tied to Covid-19 reported in Tuesday's data were nearly double either of the past two days, though an increase was not uncommon for the first full reporting period after a weekend. The RIVM learned of 88 more fatal outcomes linked to the coronavirus disease, where the seven-day rolling average dropped slightly to 69.

Some 457,003 people in the Netherlands have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection. A total of 8,616 people definitively diagnosed with Covid-19 died as a result of the disease, according to the RIVM.