Growing number of coronavirus infections at work & hospitality sector

More and more people are catching the coronavirus in the workplace, or at a hospitality industry business. These areas are becoming more significant hot spots, according to the weekly figures from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) about the state of the coronavirus pandemic in the Netherlands.

The source of infection is not known for all people who tested positive for the coronavirus. The location where the infection took place was established in about four in ten people who tested positive last week, with others unaware of how they contracted the virus.

Of the new cases for which the source of infection is known, more than half were infected at home after contact with an infected roommate or family member. That is and remains the most significant source of contamination. Household visits accounted for nearly 16 percent of new cases. That is higher than in previous weeks.

At the beginning of September, 5.3 percent were infected at the workplace. That rose to 6.6 percent at the end of September, 8.6 percent at the beginning of October and 9 percent last week.

By mid-September, 1.6 percent of the infections could be traced to the hospitality sector, rising to 3.3 percent by mid-October. It was the source of infection in 4.3 percent of the people who tested positive last week

Infections are also increasing in nursing homes. A month ago, 1.9 percent had become infected at such a location. That now stands at 3.9 percent.