Belgium’s average new coronavirus infections dropped below 2,000 a day yesterday, and today sees the decline continue, according to the latest figures published by the Sciensano public health institute on Wednesday.
Between 20 and 26 December, an average of 1,801.4 new people tested positive per day over the past week, which is a 29% decrease compared to the week before.
The total number of confirmed cases in Belgium since the beginning of the pandemic is 641,411. 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, 264.2 infections were confirmed per 100,000 inhabitants, which is a 5% decrease compared to the two weeks before.
Between 23 and 29 December, an average of 158 patients were admitted to hospital, which is 14% fewer than the week before.
In total, 2,423 coronavirus patients are currently in hospital, or 17 fewer than yesterday. Of all patients, 510 are in intensive care, which is 18 more than yesterday. A total of 274 patients are on a ventilator – ten fewer than yesterday.
From 20 to 26 December, an average number of 77 deaths occurred per day, marking a 18% decrease compared to the week before.
The total number of deaths in the country since the beginning of the pandemic is currently 19,361.
Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 6,860,508 tests have been carried out. Of those tests, an average of 29,650.3 were taken per day over the past week, with a positivity rate of 7.2%. That means that fewer than one in thirteen people who get tested receive a positive result.
The percentage went down by 0.4% compared to last week, along with a 23% decrease in testing.
The reproduction rate, finally, is now 0.92, which means that a person infected with coronavirus infects fewer than one other person on average.
The Brussels Times
