The Netherlands has four risk levels for the corona virus. From lowest to highest, these are vigilant, worrisome, serious and very serious. Two numbers determine the level of risk in a region: the number of positive tests and the number of hospitalizations. Until the end of May, all 25 security regions were rated very serious. This was reduced in the course of June, when the number of positive tests fell rapidly.
Last week, risk levels rose sharply as a result of the new corona wave. As a result, eleven regions are now classified as very serious and thirteen as serious. The situation in Zeeland is worrying. The lowest level, watchful, does not apply anywhere.
The eleven regions where the situation is already very serious are Amsterdam-Amstelland, Groningen, Rotterdam-Rijnmond, Haaglanden, Utrecht, Central and West Brabant, Twente, Kennemerland, Zaanstreek-Waterland, Hollands Midden and the Gooi en Vechtstreek. Amsterdam-Amstelland is the largest fire source. There, 914 out of 100,000 inhabitants have tested positive in the last seven days. This means that 1 in 109 inhabitants of Amsterdam and the surrounding area has received a message from the GGD about a positive test result in the last seven days.
Nine regions will almost certainly also reach the highest level. One of these is Gelderland-South. In the past seven days, almost 2,500 people have been told that they have the corona virus. In the seven days before that, there were almost 700. That is an increase of 263 percent. The corona virus is mainly diagnosed in the student city of Nijmegen.
The other regions heading for ‘very serious’ are Noord-Holland Noord, Zuid-Holland Zuid, Brabant-North, Brabant-Zuidoost, Gelderland-Midden, Noord- and Oost-Gelderland, IJsselland and Friesland. Flevoland is still just below the limit, but can also reach the highest level in the coming days. If that happens, nine of the twelve provinces will be completely on ‘very serious’.
The only regions that appear to end up with the second highest risk level are North Limburg, South Limburg, Drenthe and Zeeland.
The increase in risk levels has no consequences for the measures taken by the government. More than a week ago, the rules were tightened up and this applies to the entire country, at least until 13 August.
–
Lunch Update
Daily during lunch an update of the most important news.