The number of new coronavirus infections being recorded in Belgium has stabilised after sharply increasing earlier this month.
Between 17 and 23 July, an average of 1,472 new coronavirus infections were detected per day, a 10% increase from the average of the previous week, according to the latest figures from Sciensano Health Institute published on Tuesday morning.
This figure has remained relatively stable since Saturday.
However, the daily average of testing over the past week decreased by 7% (a daily average of 64,372.7 tests were carried out), whilst the positivity rate has increased to 2.5%, the highest it has been in months.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 1,117,697 cases of coronavirus infection have been diagnosed in Belgium.
Meanwhile, the average number of deaths due to the virus during the same period has remained stable despite the sudden increase in infections and now sits at a daily average of 1.6, bringing the total to 25,228 deaths since the start of the pandemic in Belgium.
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Hospitalisations due to the coronavirus continue to increase slightly, and between 20 and 26 July, there was an average of 28.3 new hospital admissions per day due to the coronavirus, a 9% increase compared to the previous reference period.
On Monday, a total of 305 (19 more than on Sunday) people were in hospital as a result of the coronavirus, of whom 97 (+13) people were being treated in intensive care, and 55 people (+2) were on a ventilator. Most people being hospitalised reportedly haven't been fully vaccinated.
The incidence, which indicates the number of new cases per 100,000 inhabitants over 14 days, is continuing to increase, but slightly less quickly, and has now risen by 92% since the last 14-day period, sitting at 170.9.
The reproduction rate of the coronavirus has dropped to 1.08 after rising to 1.29 last week. This figure is the average number of people infected by an infected person. When the figure is higher than 1, it means the pandemic is gathering pace in Belgium.
As of Sunday, 83% of the adult population in Belgium had received the first injection of a coronavirus vaccine. This figure equates to just over 7.89 million people.
Of these, more than 6.2 million people (67% of the adult population of Belgium) have received a second dose and are now considered fully protected.
The Brussels Times
