The number of new Covid-19 cases being reported in Belgium continues to rapidly decline, however, the number of deaths has risen after weeks of remaining stable.
Between 30 January and 5 February, an average of 27,298 new coronavirus infections were identified every day — a 41% decrease on the previous seven days, according to the figures published by the Sciensano Public Health Institute on Wednesday morning.
The number of cases accounted for by the Delta variant increased slightly, as almost 92% of all cases are with the Omicron variant (down from 99%).
The average number of PCR tests taken per day in the same period decreased significantly (-29%) to 78,050.3. The positivity rate dropped after reaching a record-high level and now sits at 39.5%, meaning just under 40 out of 100 tests that are taken have a positive result.
Despite the fifth wave starting around Christmas, the number of people dying as a result of the virus remained stable. However, between 30 January and 5 February, an average of 39 Covid-19 patients died per day, up by 30% since last week.
The increase in the number of deaths is mainly among people aged over 85, both in and outside of residential care centres. Here, the number of infections increased by 30%, virologist Steven Van Gucht said during a press conference on Friday.
Total deaths in Belgium since the beginning of the pandemic amount to 29,429. For the first time in two months, more than 50 deaths were recorded per day on Friday last week.
Situation in Belgian hospitals
Between 2 and 8 February, an average of 323.9 patients suffering from Covid-19 were admitted to hospitals per day – a decrease of 11% on the seven days previous.
This number reflects how many people end up in hospital specifically because of the virus, not people who end up in hospital with another condition and then test positive for the coronavirus.
On Tuesday, a total of 4,188 people were in Belgian hospitals due to an infection, 141 fewer than on Monday. This number covers all patients who tested positive for Covid-19, including those who were first admitted with a different condition.
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The number of patients in a life-threatening condition increased slightly during the weekend but has once again stabilised. Currently, 431 people are being treated in intensive care (-9), while 193 (+1) patients are on a ventilator.
Van Gucht said the ICU occupancy in the country is expected to start falling over the course of this month. Once this has happened, the government can look at relaxing measures following the coronavirus barometer rules. On Friday, the Consultative Committee will meet to discuss this possibility.
90% of adults vaccinated
A UK analysis found that the risk of hospitalisation is lower for Omicron cases after both two and three doses of vaccine, with a 77% to 85% reduction in the risk of hospitalisation after three doses compared to unvaccinated people who are infected with the Omicron variant.
As of Thursday, more than 8.88 million people are fully vaccinated – 90% of Belgium's adult population and 77% of the total population. These figures were not updated as usual on Wednesday morning due to a technical issue.
Meanwhile, more than 6.64 million people have received a booster dose of a coronavirus vaccine, representing 71% of over-18s and 58% of the entire population. The majority of adults should have had the opportunity to get a booster dose by March 2022.
The reproduction rate (Rt) between 26 January and 1 February was 0.98. This figure represents the average number of people that contract the virus from each infected person, and 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 decrease and now sits at 4,487 over the past 14 days.
