Over 1,000 patients are currently admitted to hospital because of the new coronavirus (Covid-19) in Belgium, according to Sciensano's latest figures on Thursday.
In total, 1,050 coronavirus patients are currently in hospital, which is 98 more than yesterday. Of those patients, 201 are in intensive care, 12 more than yesterday. Patients on a ventilator number 94, nine more than yesterday.
Additionally, 90.7 new hospitalisations per day were recorded on average between 29 September and 5 October, up from 79.7 per day the week before.
Additionally, over the 7-day period from 29 September to 5 October, an average of 2,595.4 new people tested positive, which is an increase of 64%, meaning the number of new infections is rising rapidly again.
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The total number of confirmed cases in Belgium since the beginning of the pandemic is 137,868. 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 past two weeks, 254.4 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 3.5 million tests have been carried out. Of those tests, about 36,800 were carried out over the past week, with a positivity rate of 7.9%.
This percentage went up from 6.6% last week, meaning that even though more tests are being carried out – which naturally results in more confirmed infections – the epidemic is still growing.
Over the week from 28 September to 4 October, an average number of 11.7 deaths occurred per day, up from the average of 8.6 the week before. The number continues to rise, 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 10,108 - 16 more than yesterday.
Belgium’s reproduction number (Rt) is currently 1.24, 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
