The number of new hospital admissions per day across Belgium has gone up again for the first time since the start of November, according to the latest figures published by the Sciensano public health institute on Saturday.
Between 9 and 15 December, an average of 2,518.9 new people tested positive per day over the past week, which is a 15% increase compared to the week before.
The total number of confirmed cases in Belgium since the beginning of the pandemic is 621,039. 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, 287 infections were confirmed per 100,000 inhabitants, which is a 3% drop compared to the two weeks before.
Between 12 and 18 December, an average of 186 patients was admitted to hospital, up by just 1% from the week before. This is the first increase in the number of daily hospitalisations since 7 November.
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In total, 2,618 coronavirus patients are currently in hospital, or 65 fewer than yesterday. Of all patients, 546 are in intensive care, which is 16 fewer than yesterday. A total of 335 patients are on a ventilator – 22 fewer than yesterday.
From 9 to 15 December, an average number of 93.6 deaths occurred per day, marking a 3.5% decrease compared to the week before.
The total number of deaths in the country since the beginning of the pandemic is currently 18,455.
Since the start of the pandemic, a total of over 6.5 million tests have been carried out. Of those tests, an average of 35,100 tests was taken per day over the past week, with a positivity rate of 8.2%. That means that just under one in twelve people who get tested receive a positive result.
The percentage went down by 0.2% compared to last week, along with a 15% increase in testing.
The reproduction rate, finally, has risen to 1.01, which means that a person infected with coronavirus infects one other person on average, and that the pandemic is growing again.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
