The number of coronavirus infections and Covid-19 hospitalisations being recorded in Belgium on a daily basis is continuing to decrease, but the number of deaths as a result of the virus is still rising.
Between 29 November and 5 December, an average of 16,718 new coronavirus infections were identified every day, a 7% decrease from the previous seven days, according to figures published by the Sciensano Public Health Institute on Thursday morning.
The number of tests taken also decreased, by 9% since last week, to 109,292.4. Meanwhile, the positivity rate continues to increase, now sitting at 16.9%, the highest since November last year.
However, the number of people dying as a result of the virus is continuing to increase. During the same period, an average of 49.7 Covid-19 patients died per day, up by 16% from last week. This brings the total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic in Belgium to 27,416.
Between 2 and 8 December, an average of 285.6 patients suffering from Covid-19 were admitted to hospitals per day, an 11% decrease since the last seven days.
On Wednesday, a total of 3,517 people were in hospitals due to an infection (37 fewer than on Tuesday), including 825 patients being treated in intensive care (+10), with 433 on a ventilator (-4).
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After dropping below 1 at the start of this week, the reproduction rate (Rt) is continuing its decline and now sits at 0.92. This figure represents the average number of people infected by each infected person, and when it is lower than 1, it means that the epidemic is slowing down in Belgium.
The incidence, which indicates the number of new cases per 100,000 inhabitants, has increased by 30% and now sits at 2,105.9 over the past 14 days.
As of Tuesday, more than 8.72 million people are fully vaccinated, accounting for 88% of the adult population in Belgium, and 76% of the total population.
Meanwhile, more than 2.25 million people have received a booster dose of a coronavirus vaccine, representing 24% of over -18s and 20% of the entire population. The majority of adults should have had the opportunity to get a booster dose by March 2022.
