The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has recorded a total of 6077 confirmed infections in the past seven days. This is 21 percent less than the previous week.
Lowest daily figure in two years
Between Sunday morning and Monday morning, RIVM counted 446 positive tests. This is the lowest daily figure since August 25, 2020, more than two years ago.
It is the fifth consecutive week that the number of new cases has decreased. According to the RIVM, this is because many people have developed immunity, for example from repeated injections or because they had corona in the summer.
RIVM only records the positive results of the tests carried out at the GGD offices. Fewer and fewer people go to a test route. GGDs conducted 8933 tests last week, the lowest number in about two years. About 50% of these tests came back positive, the lowest percentage since the end of January.
Fewer virus particles in the sewers
As always, it should be noted that positive self-tests are not counted. In reality, there could be more infections.
RIVM therefore also uses other ways to monitor the spread of the coronavirus, for example by measuring how many virus particles are found in wastewater. These concentrations have also decreased in recent weeks. Fewer and fewer people in nursing homes test positive.
Even fewer repeated injections
The number of people receiving a repeated injection against the corona virus is decreasing. About 210 thousand vaccinations were carried out in the last week, the lowest number since the beginning of the vaccination campaign. According to the RIVM, approximately 3.6 million people have received a repeat injection during the current vaccination cycle.
Anyone over the age of 12 is entitled to it. In the group of people over 60 – who were the first to receive a repeat injection – more than half have now been vaccinated. This is almost a quarter of those under 60. According to the institute, the fact that the number of corona cases is declining rapidly is partly due to repeated injections.
As fewer people contract the corona virus, fewer people end up in hospital. Last week, 286 people were hospitalized because their corona complaints were bad enough for it. It is the lowest number since September.
Hospital occupancy is declining
Within a week, footfall dropped by 28%. A month ago, hospitals admitted 773 people in one week due to their coronavirus complaints.
According to the National Coordination Center for Patient Distribution (LCPS), hospitals are now treating a total of 714 people who have tested positive. Although they are 5 more than on Monday, employment continues to decline over the long term. Since last Tuesday, 135 beds have become available and the number of hospitalized corona patients has fallen by more than 500 in one month.
The new sub-variants that are circulating do not yet lead to a new wave. One such version of the virus, with the scientific name BQ.1, could soon become dominant in the Netherlands. There are no indications that people are getting sicker than previous subvariants.
