Nearly 100,000 healthcare workers tested positive for coronavirus | NOW

Almost 100,000 healthcare workers have been tested positive for the corona virus since the COVID-19 outbreak in the Netherlands, according to data published by the RIVM on Tuesday.

This concerns 96,042 people who work in healthcare. That is 8,434 more than last week. The week before, more than 9,600 infected healthcare workers had joined.

The number of health workers who died last week increased from 19 to 21. The total number of health workers admitted to a hospital increased from 716 to 729. A total of 19,845 corona patients have been admitted to hospitals since the start of the pandemic.

The Netherlands now has a total of 777,902 positive tests and 11,212 deaths. These are only the confirmed cases. The actual numbers are greater because not everyone was eligible for a corona test at the start of the corona crisis. In addition, not everyone is tested.

Pressure on care is increasing

Due to the large number of sick people in care, hospitals and nursing homes have great difficulty in completing the schedules. As a result, care for the sick and the elderly is under pressure.

The security regions of Groningen, Twente and North and East Gelderland have asked Defense for help in nursing and care homes and in home care. Hospitals also ask for military assistance. This assistance should help to prevent care from getting stuck and the elderly no longer being able to be washed.

The Ministry of Defense is going to a number of hospitals and care homes in that region to see whether healthcare institutions can get help from the military there. They assess what help is needed and how it can be distributed. The decision on this must be made as soon as possible.

The Ministry of Defense has a hundred military personnel with a medical background available to assist in the care. It was previously known that a thousand soldiers are ready to help with tasks such as conducting tests or distributing meals.

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