Belgium’s coronavirus hospital admissions increased by more than 20% compared to the week before, as the number of those who received their first dose of vaccine topped half a million, according to the latest figures published by the Sciensano public health institute on Wednesday.
Between 21 and 27 February, an average of 2,393 new people tested positive per day, which is a 9% increase compared to the week before.
The total number of confirmed cases in Belgium since the beginning of the pandemic is 774,344. 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, 279.2 infections were confirmed per 100,000 inhabitants, which is a 13% increase compared to the two weeks before.
Between 24 February and 2 March, an average of 151.6 patients per day were admitted to hospital, an increase of 21% compared to the week before.
In total, 1,936 1,903 coronavirus patients are currently in hospital, or 33 fewer than yesterday. Of all patients, 425 are in intensive care, which is 15 more than yesterday. A total of 212 patients are on a ventilator – the same number as yesterday.
From 21 to 27 February, an average number of 24.1 deaths occurred per day, marking a 29.3% decrease compared to the week before.
The total number of deaths in the country since the beginning of the pandemic is currently 22,141.
Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 9,529,132 tests have been carried out. Of those tests, an average of 41,101.9 were taken per day over the past week, with a positivity rate of 6.7%.
The percentage increased by 0.2% compared to last week, along with a 9% increase in testing.
A total of 509,948 people in Belgium have received the first dose of their vaccinations, or 5.54% of the population aged 18 and older. In addition, 314,319 people have been fully vaccinated.
The reproduction rate, finally, stands at 1.13, which means that a person infected with coronavirus infects more than one other person on average and the pandemic is growing.
The Brussels Times
