For the first time since mid-October, there are fewer than 200 Covid-19 patients in intensive care units across Belgium; however, the number of new hospitalisations is once again increasing.
Between 2 and 8 March, an average of 143.1 patients suffering from Covid-19 were admitted to hospitals each day – an increase of 3% on the seven days previous, according to the figures published by the Sciensano Public Health Institute on Wednesday morning.
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.
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On Tuesday, a total of 2,007 people were in Belgian hospitals due to an infection, 62 fewer than on Monday, of whom 197 were being treated in intensive care (-9) and 91 patients were on a ventilator.
This number covers all patients who tested positive for Covid-19, including those who were first admitted with a different condition.
On Monday, several coronavirus measures were dropped in Belgium as a result of the “favourable evolution of the epidemic conditions,” including the Covid Safe Ticket (CST) requirement and the face mask mandate.
Decrease in infections slowing down
Between 27 February and 5 March, an average of 6,181 new coronavirus infections were identified every day, a 5% decrease on the previous seven days.
The Omicron variant currently accounts for 45.4% of all cases in Belgium, while the Omicron BA.2 variant, which was predicted to be the dominant variant, is accounting for 54.6%.
The average number of PCR tests taken per day in the same period declined by 15% to 32,373.4. The positivity rate now sits at 21.1%, meaning more than one in five tests has a positive result.
During the same week, an average of 17.1 Covid-19 patients died on a daily basis, down by 29% since last week. The total number of deaths in Belgium since the start of the pandemic amounts to 30,313.
The official death statistics also 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.
Reproduction rate, incidence, and total vaccinations
The reproduction rate (Rt) surpassed 1 again for the first time since the start of February and now sits at 1.02. 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) is continuing to drop, but at a much slower pace, and now sits at 769 over the past 14 days.
As of Monday, almost 9.1 million people are fully vaccinated – 89% of Belgium's adult population and 79% of the total population.
Meanwhile, more than 7.04 million people have received a booster dose of a coronavirus vaccine, representing 75% of over-18s and 61% of the entire population. The majority of adults should have had the opportunity to get a booster dose by March 2022.
A 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.
