The number of coronavirus cases in Belgium continues to decline, however, the number of Covid-19 deaths is still slightly increasing, now nearing 50 per day.
Between 8 and 14 February, an average of 12,931 new coronavirus infections were identified every day – a 44% decrease on the previous seven days, according to the figures published by the Sciensano Public Health Institute on Friday morning.
The Omicron variant currently accounts for 79.5% of all cases in Belgium, down 9% since last week.
The average number of PCR tests taken per day in the same period declined by 28% to 52,324.9. The positivity rate dropped after reaching a record-high and now sits at 29.4%, meaning around 30 out of 100 tests that are taken have a positive result, down by about 15 from the end of January.
As a result of this improving situation, Belgium will be moving to ‘code orange’ on its coronavirus barometer from today (Friday) – meaning that rules for events, leisure activities and the hospitality industry will become more relaxed.
During the same week, an average of 48.9 Covid-19 patients died on a daily basis, up by 11% since last week. It is important to note that the official death statistics include people who died of another cause of death, but who happened to be infected, meaning they are an overestimate of the deaths caused by the virus.
On Thursday last week, 67 deaths were recorded in one day, the highest number since January last year, however, it appears the peak may have been reached.
The increase was largely reported among those aged 75 to 84. The total number of deaths in Belgium since the start of the pandemic amounts to 29,886.
Situation in Belgian hospitals
Between 11 and 17 February, an average of 246.1 patients suffering from Covid-19 were admitted to hospitals each day – a decrease of 17% on the seven days previous.
This number reflects how many people end up in hospital specifically because of the virus, not those who are admitted with another condition and then test positive for the coronavirus.
On Thursday, a total of 3,253 people were in Belgian hospitals due to infection – 99 fewer than on Wednesday. This number covers all patients who tested positive for Covid-19, including those who were first admitted with a different condition.
The number of patients in a life-threatening condition has decreased significantly since last week. Currently, 350 people are being treated in intensive care (-3), while 156 (-5) patients are on a ventilator.
Reproduction rate, incidence, and total vaccinations
The reproduction rate (Rt) has slightly increased to 0.87. This figure represents the average number of people that contract the virus from each infected person, and when it is above 1, it means that the epidemic is gaining ground in Belgium.
The incidence (the number of new cases per 100,000 inhabitants) is continuing to decrease and now sits at 2,200 over the past 14 days.
As of Wednesday, more than 9 million people are fully vaccinated – 89% of Belgium's adult population and 78% of the total population.
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Meanwhile, more than 6.87 million people have received a booster dose of a coronavirus vaccine, representing 73% of over-18s and 60% of the entire population. The majority of adults should have had the opportunity to get a booster dose by March 2022.
A recent study from the United Kingdom's Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) showed that booster vaccinations are estimated to have prevented 105,600 people from ending up in hospitals following a Covid-19 infection since mid-December.
