More than 2,000 people are in hospital as a result of the coronavirus, while the number of patients ending up in intensive care is nearing the critical level of 500.
Between 2 and 8 November, an average of 183.3 patients suffering from Covid-19 were admitted to hospitals per day, a 21% increase since the previous week, according to the latest figures published by the Sciensano Public Health Institute on Tuesday morning.
On Monday, a total of 2,071 people were in hospitals due to an infection (123 more than on Sunday), including 418 patients being treated in intensive care (+27), with 212 on a ventilator (+16).
According to recent data collected by Sciensano, vaccinated people are 14 times less likely to end up in intensive care following a Covid-19 infection than those that have not been vaccinated.
Between 30 October and 5 November, an average of 7,867 new coronavirus infections were identified every day – a 4% increase from the previous seven days.
The number of tests being taken meanwhile decreased by 7% (75,386.7), while the positivity rate has risen by 1.6% since last week, now sitting at 11.2% - the highest rate since end November last year.
During the same period, an average of 20 people died per day from the virus, down by 8% from last week, and the highest since May this year. This brings the total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic in Belgium to 26,200.
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The virus reproduction rate meanwhile has slightly decreased to 1.14. This figure represents the average number of people infected by each infected person, and when it is above 1, it means that the epidemic is gaining ground in Belgium.
The incidence, which indicates the number of new cases per 100,000 inhabitants, has increased by 85% and now sits at 937.1 over the past 14 days.
As of Sunday, more than 8.73 million people in Belgium have received a first dose of the vaccine, representing 88% of the adult population, and 76% of the total population.
Meanwhile, more than 8.59 million people are fully vaccinated, accounting for 87% of the adult population in Belgium, and 75% of the total population.
Belgium has also started administering booster doses of coronavirus vaccines to people from certain vulnerable groups to keep the protection against the coronavirus sufficiently high. As of Sunday, almost 750,000 people had received such a dose.
