The increase in the number of new coronavirus infections is gradually starting to slow down and has stabilised just under an average of 2,000 new infections per day.
Between 15 and 21 August, an average of 1,939 new Covid-19 infections were detected per day, up 1% compared with the previous week, according to the latest figures from the Sciensano Public Health Institute on Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, an average of 43,745.4 tests were performed daily, with a positivity rate of 4.8%.
During the same period, an average of 5 people died per day from the virus, up by 46% since last week, bringing the total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic in Belgium to 25,342.
Between 18 and 24 August, on average, 58.4 patients suffering from Covid-19 were admitted per day, an increase of 2%,
On Tuesday, a total of 635 people remained in hospitals due to an infection (8 fewer than on Monday), including 170 patients being treated in intensive care (-3), with 90 on a ventilator (-2).
The virus reproduction rate has once again dropped slightly to 1.00, the lowest since mid-July. This figure represents the average number of people infected by each infected person, and when it is higher than 1, it means that the epidemic is growing in the population.
Related News
- Brussels to vaccinate residents in Primark, Action and IKEA
- 'Tip of the iceberg': half of Brussels infections due to returning travellers
- Brussels aims for 65% vaccination rate by end of October
The incidence, which indicates the number of new cases per 100,000 inhabitants, reached 235.1 over the past 14 days.
More than 8.35 million Belgians have received a first dose of the vaccine, representing 84.9% of the adult population, and 72.6% of the total population.
Meanwhile, more than 7.89 million people are fully vaccinated, accounting for 82.6% of the adult population in Belgium, and 68.5% of the total population.
The speed of the vaccination rollout is clearly decreasing from the latest figures, as the majority of the population that is willing and able to be vaccinated has already been vaccinated. Most vaccination centres across Belgium are planning to close by mid-October.
On Friday last week, Belgium's Consultative Committee met to discuss the epidemiological situation in the country, as well as possible relaxations as part of the next phase of the summer plan, expected to go ahead from 1 September. Find all the details here.
The Brussels Times
