Belgium’s numbers of Covid-19 patients in hospital are falling, and fatalities are down. But new cases are on the increase as cases of new variants grow, according to the latest figures published by the Sciensano public health institute on Saturday.
Between 20 and 26 January, an average of 2,253.6 new people tested positive per day, which is a 14% increase compared to the week before.
The total number of confirmed cases in Belgium since the beginning of the pandemic is 705,120. The total reflects all people in Belgium who have been infected, and includes confirmed active cases as well as patients who have since recovered, or died as a result of the virus.
Over the past two weeks, 257.3 infections were confirmed per 100,000 inhabitants, which is a 12% increase compared to the two weeks before.
Between 23 and 29 January, an average of 120 patients were admitted to hospital, which is 6% fewer than the week before.
In total, 1,810 coronavirus patients are currently in hospital, or seven fewer than yesterday. Of all patients, 316 are in intensive care, which is also seven fewer than yesterday. A total of 166 patients are on a ventilator – one fewer than yesterday.
From 20 to 26 January, an average number of 50.3 deaths occurred per day, marking a 1.4% decrease compared to the week before.
The total number of deaths in the country since the beginning of the pandemic is currently 21,018.
Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 8,151,776 tests have been carried out. Of those tests, an average of 45,214.7 were taken per day over the past week, with a positivity rate of 5.6%.
The percentage increased by 0.1% compared to last week, along with a 9% increase in testing.
A total of 259,012 people in Belgium have received the first dose of their vaccinations, or 2.81% of the population aged 18 and older. In addition, 7,756 people have received their second dose.
The reproduction rate, finally, stands at 0.92, which means that a person infected with coronavirus infects just under one person on average and the pandemic is not growing.
The Brussels Times
