Belgium’s coronavirus infections continue to rise, while the reproduction rate has dropped below 1.0 again, according to the latest figures published by the Sciensano public health institute on Thursday.
Between 18 and 24 January, an average of 2,163.4 new people tested positive per day over the past week, 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 699,662. 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, 252.2 infections were confirmed per 100,000 inhabitants, which is an 11% increase compared to the two weeks before.
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Between 21 and 27 January, an average of 127 patients were admitted to hospital, which is 3% more than the week before.
In total, 1,851 coronavirus patients are currently in hospital, or 81 fewer than yesterday. Of all patients, 314 are in intensive care, which is 9 fewer than yesterday. A total of 173 patients are on a ventilator – 5 more than yesterday.
From 18 to 24 January, an average number of 52.9 deaths occurred per day, marking a 7.6% increase compared to the week before.
The total number of deaths in the country since the beginning of the pandemic is currently 20,933.
Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 8,035,739 tests have been carried out. Of those tests, an average of 44,067.7 were taken per day over the past week, with a positivity rate of 5.6%.
The percentage increased by 0.3% compared to last week, along with a 2% increase in testing.
A total of 229,863 people in Belgium have received the first dose of their vaccinations, or 2.49% of the population aged 18 and older. In addition, 1,603 people have received their second dose.
The reproduction rate, finally, stands at 0.98, which means that a person infected with coronavirus infects just under one person on average and the pandemic is not growing.
Jason Spinks
The Brussels Times
