22,200 more test positive for coronavirus; Daily Covid deaths near 9-month high

Some 22,199 people tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus between Monday and Tuesday morning. That brought the seven-day average down one percent to 22,207 based solely on raw data. A combination of raw and corrected data put the figure at 22,164, similar to a week earlier which the RIVM said was a sign infections were stabilizing.

It was not yet clear what impact the Omicron variant would have on infection figures over the coming weeks. One test sample taken within the last two weeks showed that the variant has been circulating in the Netherlands this month despite efforts to prevent its spread through the the use of flight bans targeting Southern Africa.

The three cities with the most new infections on Tuesday were Amsterdam (776), The Hague (576), and Rotterdam (551). The capital was slightly below its moving average, the daily figure in The Hague was 10 percent above average, and Rotterdam’s tally was about 15 percent below average.

Although deaths caused by Covid-19 do not have to be reported to the RIVM, the health institute said that during the past day it learned of 65 deaths caused by the disease. That was the highest total reported in a single day since March 2. For the week, 367 such deaths were reported to the agency, an increase of over a third from the week before.

Hospitals were treating a total of 2,845 people with Covid-19 on Tuesday afternoon, according to the LCPS. That was 73 more than the previous day, after accounting for new admissions, discharges and deaths. The hospital figure was at its highest point since January 5.

The total was about 12 percent higher compared to a week ago. A similar increase would boost the figure up to 3,189.

The current figure included 595 people being treated in intensive care units, a net increase of 32. The ICU figure has not been so high since May 24. The other 2,250 people were being treated in regular care wards, a height not seen since the first wave of coronavirus infections during the spring of 2020. The figure rose by 41 since Monday afternoon.

Hospitals admitted 386 people with Covid-19 between Monday and Tuesday afternoon, including 47 sent directly to an intensive care unit. On average, 343 patients were admitted each of the past seven days, up 7 percent from the previous week. Daily ICU admissions have gone up from an average of 42 per day to an average of 48.