The average number of new daily coronavirus infections has risen for the fourth day in a row, according to the latest figures published by the Sciensano public health institute on Wednesday.
Between 6 and 12 December, an average of 2,343.1 new people tested positive per day over the past week, which is an 8% increase compared to the week before. Average daily infections have been increasing for four days in a row now.
The total number of confirmed cases in Belgium since the beginning of the pandemic is 611,422. 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, 274.5 infections were confirmed per 100,000 inhabitants, which is a 19% drop compared to the two weeks before.
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Between 9 and 15 December, an average of 181.7 patients was admitted to hospital, down 6% from the week before.
In total, 2,770 coronavirus patients are currently in hospital, or 118 fewer than yesterday. Of all patients, 593 are in intensive care, which is 21 fewer than yesterday. It is the first time in nearly two months that there are fewer than 600 patients in intensive care.
A total of 388 patients are on a ventilator – 5 fewer than yesterday.
From 6 to 12 December, an average number of 91.4 deaths occurred per day, marking a 12.7% decrease compared to the week before.
The total number of deaths in the country since the beginning of the pandemic is currently 18,178.
Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 6,384,817 tests have been carried out. Of those tests, an average of 32,945.3 were taken per day over the past week, with a positivity rate of 8.2%. That means that around one in twelve people who get tested receive a positive result.
The percentage went down by 0.4% compared to last week, along with a 10% increase in testing.
The reproduction rate, finally, currently stands at 0.98. That rate (Rt) is the rate at which the virus spreads. If it rises above 1.0 again, it would mean that a person infected with coronavirus infects more than one other person on average and that the pandemic would be growing again.
On Tuesday, the Rt was above 1.0 in seven of Belgium’s ten provinces.
Jason Spinks
The Brussels Times
