Dutch coronavirus average hits two-week low, but Covid hospital total still rising

The moving average for new daily coronavirus infections in the Netherlands fell below seven thousand for the first time in two weeks. At the same time, the number of hospitalized Covid-19 patients rose for the twelfth straight day, with three consecutive days where over 80 new patients were admitted into care.

New data from the RIVM showed that another 4,665 people tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection, a figure which has not below five thousand since July 7. That pushed the seven-day moving average down 11 percent in a day to 6,492.

The moving average has dropped by 36 percent in one week, the preliminary data showed. That trend could be enough for the Netherlands to downgrade several regions from the country’s highest coronavirus risk level when the national risk assessment is updated on Wednesday.

The three cities with the most new infections were Amsterdam (321), Rotterdam (276) and The Hague (99). Amsterdam’s figure was about one-third below average, Rotterdam’s was one-fourth below its average, and the tally from The Hague was almost half its moving average. Infection figures are often lower on Sundays and Mondays in the Netherlands.

However, the number of Covid-19 patients being treated in Dutch hospitals rose by another six percent in a day. There were 533 patients with the disease in care on Sunday, the most since June 20.

The patient total has jumped 71 percent in a week. A similar increase over the next week would bring the hospitalized total to over 920 Covid-19 patients.

Sunday’s data from the LCPS showed that there were 134 patients in intensive care, a net increase of 18 after accounting for admissions, discharges and deaths. The last time there were that many ICU patients was four weeks ago.

The other 399 patients were being treated in regular care wards, a net increase of 11. The non-acute care departments were treating the most Covid-19 patients since June 14.

Several hospitals in Amsterdam were on the verge of reopening departments dedicated to treating the coronavirus disease, which they began to close last May. Amstelland Hospital, Amsterdam UMC, BovenIJ hospital and the OLVG were already transferring Covid-19 patients between them last week to prevent being overrun with patients who have the disease, Parool reported on Friday.

The 20 millionth Covid-19 vaccination was likely administered on Sunday, with just over a million vaccines expected to be given this calendar week. That would be about 45 percent lower than in mid-June. After weeks of declining vaccination figures, the RIVM stopped providing daily updates on the Dutch vaccination program

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