The number of new Covid-19 infections continues to gradually decrease, however, the number of new hospitalisations remains relatively high.
Between 2 and 8 April, an average of 8,978 new coronavirus infections were identified every day, a 14% decrease from the seven days previous, according to the figures published by the Sciensano Public Health Institute on Tuesday morning.
The highly transmissible Omicron variant, Omicron BA.2, is now accounting for 95.7% of all cases.
The average number of PCR tests taken per day in the same period declined by 16% to 32,676.1. The positivity rate now sits at 29.9%, meaning slightly fewer than three out of ten tests have a positive result.
During the same week, an average of 23.7 Covid-19 patients died on a daily basis, down by 1% from the previous week. The total number of deaths in Belgium since the start of the pandemic amounts to 31,079.
This figure also includes 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.
Situation in hospitals
Between 5 and 11 April, an average of 220.1 patients suffering from Covid-19 were admitted to hospitals each day – an increase of 2% 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.
undefined
On Monday, a total of 3,176 people were in Belgian hospitals due to an infection, 123 more than on Sunday. Meanwhile, the number of people being treated in intensive care is slightly rising and now sits at 194 (+21).
This number covers all patients who tested positive for Covid-19, including those who were first admitted with a different condition.
Reproduction rate, incidence, and total vaccinations
The reproduction rate (Rt) still sits at 1.01. This figure represents the average number of people that contract the virus from each infected person. 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) has dropped to 1,177 over the past 14 days.
Related News
- Belgium hit harder by Covid-19 than other European countries, research shows
- Corona Commission and GEMS expert group cease activities
As of Saturday, more than 9.13 million people are fully vaccinated – 89% of Belgium's adult population and 79% of the total population.
Meanwhile, more than 7.1 million people have received a booster dose of a coronavirus vaccine, representing 75% of over-18s and 62% of the entire population.
As of last week, the frequency of Sciensano's update on the epidemiological situation has been adjusted. Although it will "continue to closely monitor the Covid situation in the country," it will only publish an update twice a week – on Tuesday and Friday – rather than on a daily basis.
