An average of 16,762 infections per day is now recorded in Belgium, with an absolute record of more than 25,000 infections in one day last Monday, according to figures published by the Sciensano public health institute on Friday morning.
Despite the measures that took effect last weekend, the number of Covid-19 infections in Belgium continues to rise sharply. Between 16 and 22 November, an average of 16,762 people was infected with the virus every day, an increase of 48% from the previous seven days.
On Monday 22 November, a total of 25,535 infections was recorded, which is the highest figure across all coronavirus waves in Belgium.
The previous record stood on 27 October, when at least 22,221 people had tested positive. In total, over 1.7 million people in Belgium have been infected with Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.
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In the week from 16 to 22 November, over 110,100 tests were taken every day, 33% more than a week earlier. The reproduction number stands at 1.23 - still above 1, which means that the epidemic is growing in strength.
The positivity ratio (the number of positive cases per 100 tests taken) is 15.9%, an increase of 1.8%. In practice, this means that nearly two out of every ten people who get tested receive a positive result.
Between 19 and 25 November, a daily average of 303 people was also admitted to hospital, an increase of 22%.
A total of 3,462 patients are now in hospital (+21%), of whom 669 people are in the intensive care unit (+16%). Additionally, 363 Covid-19 patients are in an artificial coma on life support.
The number of deaths also continues to rise, as an average of 36 people died every day as a result of Covid-19 last week, 16% more than a week earlier. In total, there have been over 26,793 Covid deaths in Belgium since the start of the pandemic.
