RIVM: Too many coronavirus infections to process; Covid ICU total falls below 300

The RIVM received so many new reports of coronavirus infections in recent days that the information systems can no longer handle the influx of data. About 27,000 positive tests have not yet been processed over the past three days. "We are working hard on solutions to catch up and remedy this backlog," the institute reports.

When a laboratory determines that someone has been infected with the coronavirus, the confirmation goes to the GGD health service. From there it is passed on to the RIVM. "It is currently not possible to process the high number of reports that come in from the test venues in the system of notifiable diseases of the GGD and to report them to the RIVM," the RIVM reported.

Some 39,978 positive test results were registered between Wednesday and Thursday morning. That is the second highest daily total ever, surpassed only by Monday's total of over 42,000 cases. However, the actual figure for Thursday was even higher.

In the past seven days, the RIVM has registered 255,689 positive tests, an increase of 17 percent compared to the previous week. It is the first time since the start of the coronavirus crisis that a seven-day total has exceeded 250,000. On average, that breaks down to 36,527 positive tests per day, continuing a 13-day record-breaking streak, with the average having increased for 23 days in a row.

Amsterdam registered 2,786 new cases in the latest round of data, followed by Utrecht with 1,435, The Hague (1,274) and Rotterdam (1,078). Of the four, Utrecht's figure was 51 percent above its average, while the other three posted municipal totals below their respective averages.

Covid ICU total below 300 for first time in 75 days

Hospitals were treating 290 intensive care patients with Covid-19 on Thursday afternoon, the first time the figure was below 300 since November 6. The ICU total has been on an overall decline since reaching a peak of 662 on December 12 during the current wave of coronavirus infections in the Netherlands.

There were 1,124 patients with the coronavirus disease in care, including those in intensive care. That was 25 fewer than on Wednesday, after accounting for new admissions, discharges and deaths. The hospitalized total was at its lowest point since October 31. It has gone down by 18 percent in a week. A similar 18% decrease would bring the tally down to 929.

Regular care wards were treating 834 Covid-19 patients, a net decrease of 12. The ICU total fell by a net sum of 13 patients, with one person still being treated in a German intensive care unit.

However, Dutch hospitals admitted 149 new Covid-19 patients in the past 24 hours, the most in nine days. It was the third consecutive day that the number of hospitalizations increased. The figure includes 16 people sent directly to intensive care, also the most in nine days. On average, Dutch hospitals admitted 118 patients with the disease each of the past seven days.