Coronavirus cases drastically increased in the last week, spiking up to 43,103 new positive test results from the previous week’s 33,949, according to the RIVM.
Although the number of people who were tested in the past week has increased from 259,377 to 320,205, so has the percentage of positive cases compared to the previous week, which went up to 11.6% from 11.1%. This means that the rise in cases cannot be explained by a rise in testing.
Hospitalizations also increased in the last week with a total of 1,229 admitted patients compared to the previous week’s 1,007.
There was a decrease in those who passed away from the coronavirus in the past week, down to 338 from 406. However, the death rate is most likely lagging behind real time and we can expect that in reality this number is higher.
Press conference tonight
Tonight, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Health Minister Hugo de Jonge will address the nation regarding coronavirus measures over Christmas. Considering the dramatic increase in positive infections over the last week, they are reluctant to open the country up for Christmas. Slightly larger group sizes are expected to be allowed, but other than that the current measures will remain in place.
Should Rutte and the King be vaccinated in public?
Three former US presidents have agreed to receive their vaccinations in public in order to promote the safety of the vaccines. Now some are suggesting that the Dutch Prime Minister and King should follow suit. However, the Dutch ministers and royal family alike don’t seem to keen on the idea, saying that vaccination is a private matter and being immunized in public won’t make much of a difference to public opinion.
Restaurant industry threatens to open regardless of measures
The restaurant industry across the Netherlands is at a breaking point. After months of a partial lockdown which promises to only stop around mid-January, more than 50 restaurants around the country say they will open their doors again on January 17 and stay open, in spite of regulations. They feel their cries for help have been ignored by the government and they cannot survive any longer. The government has since promised to set aside millions of euros for the catering and culture industry.
Extension of measures
Health Minister Hugo de Jonge has warned that with the rising coronavirus numbers, the partial lockdown is likely to be extended beyond mid-January. These restaurants say that if the measures are extended, they will have no choice but to break them.
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The increase in the number of people teste from 259,377 to 320,205 equates to an increase of 23.5 %. If the increase in the number of positive cases has been from 11.1 % to 11.6 % in the same period, this is an increase of only 0.5 %.
A 0.5 % increase in positive cases for an increase of 23.5 % people tested does not seem at all like a rate of infection increase to be concerned about.
David, any increase is concerning, levels should be going down if people were more vigilant.
It will only get more cold and more dry so the fight against the virus will only get more difficult in the next couple of months.
The people basically ruined their own Christmas. I predict they will mix anyway and January will be awful, we will become the basket case of Europe.