Fri 15 October 2021 13.24 hrs
LEEUWARDEN – For the first time in a month, the Frisian corona infections have increased. This is reported by the GGD Fryslân. There were 778 positive tests this week, more than half more than a week earlier. “Partly because of the flu season, testing for corona remains important.”
The increase in the number of infections is as high as the national average. Where Friesland led the way a month ago with the number of infections per 100,000 inhabitants, the province is now in the middle bracket. Although the positive tests are increasing again, this applies to a much lesser extent to hospital admissions reported to the GGD.
explainable
The fact that the numbers are now rising is understandable. Since September 25, most restrictive measures have been lifted and people come into contact with each other more. The effect of such relaxation is usually noticeable two weeks later. Due to the colder weather, people spend more time indoors, where the virus can spread more easily, especially if there is insufficient ventilation.
Clusters
The number of clusters of more than three infections that can be linked is increasing. There are only a few large clusters of more than ten cases. The infections are spreading in almost all age groups. Only among teenagers were there fewer new infections. Above the age of seventy, the numbers remain low.
Griepseizoen
Meanwhile, the flu season (influenza) has officially been established. That means more people get cold symptoms. These complaints are usually indistinguishable from corona complaints. While the course of corona can be much more serious, especially for unvaccinated people.
GGD Fryslân continues to call on people with complaints to continue testing and is scaling up the testing options. So that corona spreads as little as possible and there is no overload of the hospitals by both corona patients and flu patients. Vulnerable groups receive an invitation from their GP for the flu shot. This vaccination reduces the chance of getting the flu and limits the course of the disease.
Pricks in village and community centers
The GGD will soon be using so-called pop-up locations: one or two days of vaccination in a village hall, community center or other building. That offers more comfort than the vaccination bus, now that the temperatures are falling.
In addition, people are expected to find their way to the trusted community center even easier than to the vaccination bus. The first time that GGD Fryslân will make use of such a temporary location will be on 3 and 4 November in Wijkcentrum De Hooidollen in the Bilgaard district of Leeuwarden.
The GGD is phasing out the use of the vaccination bus. The next week the bus will be in Gorredijk (today 15 October) and Oldeberkoop (Wednesday). Anyone over the age of twelve can have themselves vaccinated there without an appointment.
Vaccination rate
Of all 570,000 Frisians over the age of twelve, 77 percent are now fully vaccinated. 3,089 shots were taken this week. In more than a third of those cases, this happened without an appointment. Spontaneous vaccination is done except in the bus at all four fixed locations (Drachten, Heerenveen, Leeuwarden and Sneek), until one hour before closing time.
Teenagers are currently the largest group to be vaccinated of all age groups. Three in five young people between the ages of 12 and 18 have now had their first shot.
There are separate consultation hours in Sneek on Tuesdays and Saturdays for Frisian residents with a fear of needles. About twenty people have used this in recent weeks.
The numbers
In the past week, 6737 corona tests were taken among residents of Fryslân. Almost 1600 more than a week earlier. A total of 556,084 tests have now been carried out by Frisians at the GGD. In the Northeast corner, the infection rates remained relatively high.
With the 778 infected people this week, a total of 55,239 Frisians have now tested positive. Six hospital admissions were reported to GGD Fryslân in the past seven days (four last week). For the first time in a month, a death has been reported to the GGD.
Municipalities
Noardeast-Fryslân and Achtkarspelen had the most new infections per 100,000 inhabitants last week. In seven of the eighteen municipalities there was more than a doubling. The figures fell in Tytsjerksteradiel and Dantumadiel.
The municipal infection rates (in brackets last week): Noordoost Fryslân 135 (97), Leeuwarden 90 (67), Heerenveen 86 (37), Smallingerland 82 (49), Achtkarspelen 78 (31), Súdwest-Fryslân 62 (54), Waadhoeke 58 (23), Tytsjerksteradiel 41 (50), De Fryske Marren 39 (23), Opsterland 38 (23), Dantumadiel 29 (31), Weststellingwerf 12 (5), Ooststellingwerf 11 (2), Terschelling 10 (5), Harlingen 4 (2), Vlieland 2 (0), Ameland 1 (0) and Schiermonnikoog 0 (0).
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