The RIVM has released its weekly coronavirus figures from January 4 to January 11 — and they aren’t looking good.
Over the past week, the RIVM has reported 201,536 new infections in the Netherlands. This is a huge increase compared to last week’s report of 113,554 infections.
The percentage of positive tests has also gone up slightly, rising to 32,4% compared to 30.8% from the week before.
In an unusual turn of events, the RIVM has spoken with the NOS on these numbers — an act that speaks to the gravity of the situation. “We have never seen such large numbers in a week,” a spokesperson tells the NOS.
Deaths
The number of patients who have died from coronavirus-related complications has decreased compared to the past week. This week, 116 people passed away, compared to 189 people the previous week.
Hospitalisations
The number of admissions to the nursing ward and the ICU have continued to decrease. The past week saw 730 new admissions to the nursing ward and 143 new patients in the ICU. The week before, there were 817 patients and 164 patients respectively.
Young people responsible for nearly half of infections
The virus has been burning its way through young people with the age group of 15-29 being responsible for almost half of infections.
However, if the virus has a firm favourite at the moment, it’s for those between the ages of 20 and 24. This age category has seen a tripling in the number of infections this week.
Netherlands records highest ever daily infections
This week was a week of records, at least when it comes to coronavirus. On January 7, the RIVM recorded 34,954 coronavirus infections in one 24 hour period. This is the highest number of daily infections ever recorded since the beginning of the pandemic.
While the RIVM was quick to point out a system failure that may have meant the number was slightly lower, the institution still recorded that coronavirus infections had increased by 63% compared to the previous week. 😳
Medical grade facemasks from now on?
We may have to ditch our grandmother’s handmade facemasks. The Outbreak Management Team (OMT) has advised that the Dutch cabinet should implement mandatory medical masks in the Netherlands. 😷
The masks would have to be at least Type II medical masks and should be worn in indoor public spaces. However, whether the cabinet will follow this advice, is another question.
No appointment? No problem
The GGD is aiming to increase the number of walk-in booster locations throughout the Netherlands. What does this mean? Simple, you don’t need an appointment, so you can find out where they’re offering walk-in boosters and join the queue.
These locations will be announced in the coming days. At the moment, walk-in locations can be found in Leeuwarden, Drachten, and Venray.
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