The average number of new infections has risen for the fifth day in a row in Belgium, according to the latest figures published by the Sciensano public health institute on Tuesday.
Between 7 and 13 December, an average of 2,368.7 new people tested positive per day over the past week, which is a 9% increase compared to the week before.
The total number of confirmed cases in Belgium since the beginning of the pandemic is 615,058. 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, 276.4 infections were confirmed per 100,000 inhabitants, which is an 18% drop compared to the two weeks before.
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Between 10 and 16 December, an average of 183.4 patients was admitted to hospital, down only 2% from the week before.
In total, 2,712 coronavirus patients are currently in hospital, or 58 fewer than yesterday. Of all patients, 571 are in intensive care, which is 22 fewer than yesterday. A total of 377 patients are on a ventilator – 11 fewer than yesterday.
From 7 to 13 December, an average number of 92.7 deaths occurred per day, marking a 6.9% decrease compared to the week before.
The total number of deaths in the country since the beginning of the pandemic is currently 18,278.
Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 6,437,162 tests have been carried out. Of those tests, an average of 33,429.6 were taken per day over the past week, with a positivity rate of 8.1%. That means that around one in twelve people who get tested receive a positive result.
The percentage went down by 0.6% compared to last week, along with a 12% increase in testing.
The reproduction rate, finally, currently stands at 0.99. That rate (Rt) is the rate at which the virus spreads. If it rises above 1.0 again, it would mean that a person infected with coronavirus infects more than one other person on average and that the pandemic would be growing again.
Jason Spinks
The Brussels Times
