The RIVM has released its weekly coronavirus figures from October 26 to November 2. The number of hospitalisations and ICU admissions have soared, while the number of deaths also climbed in the past week.
Over the past week, the RIVM has reported 53.979 new infections in the Netherlands. This is a significant increase compared to last week’s report of 38,733 infections.
The percentage of positive tests also increased to 16.7% compared to 15.3% the week before.
Deaths
The number of patients who have died from coronavirus-related complications has increased in the past week. This week, 102 people passed away, compared to 78 people the previous week.
Hospitalisations
Both the number of admissions to the nursing ward and the ICU has gone up. The past week saw 694 new admissions to the nursing ward and 140 new patients in the ICU. The week before, there were 474 and 110, respectively.
Leaked measures in anticipation of tonights conference
This evening, the Dutch Prime Minister will step on the podium once again to bring us the government’s decisions regarding new coronavirus measures. However, the expected measures have already been leaked.
From Friday, we’re looking at a return to wearing facemasks in public indoor spaces. The government also wants a stricter working from home policy — so wave goodbye to office coffees and hello to half a week of working from the couch.
There have also been discussions about expanding the scope of the coronavirus pass.
RIVM traces infections to the office and catering establishments
Numbers from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) show that more people are contracting coronavirus at Dutch catering establishments and workplaces.
In fact, those locations were identified as the source of infection for 4 in 10 who tested positive in the Netherlands last week. Overall, such cases almost doubled in October compared to September.
The Netherlands turns red… again
Every Thursday the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) publishes a coronavirus map indicating the risk level of European countries by looking at the number and percentage of positive tests in the previous two calendar weeks.
Last week, the Netherlands lit up the map with bright red colours — meaning that the country is now sitting at the second-highest warning level.
The whole country is now deemed high-risk, in contrast with the previous weeks when the provinces of North Holland, North Brabant, Groningen, and Drenthe were still orange.
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