More than 2,100 new people per day tested positive for the virus in Belgium over the past week, according to Monday's figures by Sciensano, which even registered a peak of over 3,000 new cases on Wednesday.
Over the 7-day period from 25 September to 1 October, an average of 2,103.3 new people tested positive, which is an increase of 32%, meaning the number of new infections is rising rapidly again.
Additionally, 77.3 new hospitalisations per day were recorded on average between 26 September and 2 October, up from 70.6 per day the week before. Several hospitals - mainly in Brussels - have said that their beds for coronavirus patients are full, and have started transferring patients to other hospitals.
In total, 866 patients are currently in hospital, which is 47 more than yesterday. Of those patients, 186 are in intensive care, one more than yesterday. Patients on a ventilator number 77, two fewer than yesterday.
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Over the past two weeks, 225.5 infections were confirmed per 100,000 inhabitants, an increase of 80% compared to the two weeks before.
Since the start of the pandemic, a total of over 3.4 million tests have been carried out. Of those tests, about 36,400 were carried out over the past week, with a positivity rate of 6.7%.
This percentage went up from 5.8% last week, meaning that even though more tests are being carried out – which naturally results in more confirmed infections – the epidemic is still growing.
The total number of confirmed cases in Belgium since the beginning of the pandemic is 130,235. The total reflects all people in Belgium who have been infected, and includes confirmed active cases as well as patients who have since recovered, or died as a result of the virus.
Over the week from 25 September to 1 October, an average number of 9.4 deaths occurred per day, up from the average of 7.1 the week before. The number is rising steadily, from an average of approximately 2 to 3 deaths per day in early September.
The total number of deaths in the country since the beginning of the pandemic is currently 10,064 – which is 20 more than yesterday.
Belgium’s reproduction number (Rt) is currently 1.16, according to Sciensano’s figures. This means that, across the country, one infected person infects more than one other person on average, and that the epidemic is still growing.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
