The average number of people being hospitalised as a result of the coronavirus in Belgium is decreasing slightly following several weeks of this figure rising.
Between 20 and 26 August, on average, 57.1 patients suffering from Covid-19 were admitted per day, a decrease of 6% compared to the previous week, according to the latest figures from the Sciensano Public Health Institute on Friday morning.
On Thursday, a total of 602 people remained in hospitals due to an infection (23 fewer than on Wednesday), including 182 patients being treated in intensive care (+3), with 98 on a ventilator (+7).
Between 17 and 23 August, an average of 1,942 new Covid-19 infections were detected per day, the same as compared with the previous week.
Meanwhile, an average of 43,444.4 tests were performed daily, with an increased positivity rate of 5%.
During the same period, an average of 5.6 people died per day from the virus, up by 74% since last week, bringing the total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic in Belgium to 25,354.
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The virus reproduction rate continues to drop after falling below 1.00 for the first time in weeks and now sits at 0.97. 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 spreading less quickly.
The incidence, which indicates the number of new cases per 100,000 inhabitants, reached 236 over the past 14 days.
More than 8.37 million Belgians have received a first dose of the vaccine, representing 85% of the adult population, and 72.7% of the total population.
Meanwhile, more than 7.96 million people are fully vaccinated, accounting for 82.8% of the adult population in Belgium, and 69.2% of the total population.
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
