All of Belgium’s major coronavirus indicators continue to rise, according to the latest official figures published by the Sciensano public health institute on Thursday.
Between 15 and 21 March, an average of 4,195 new people tested positive per day, which is a 37% increase compared to the week before.
The total number of confirmed cases in Belgium since the beginning of the pandemic is 849,090. 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, 441.6 infections were confirmed per 100,000 inhabitants, which is a 57% increase compared to the two weeks before.
Between 18 and 24 March, an average of 221.6 patients were admitted to hospital per day, an increase of 26% compared to the week before.
In total, 2,452 coronavirus patients are currently in hospital, or 50 more than yesterday. Of all patients, 637 are in intensive care, which is 36 more than yesterday. A total of 325 patients are on a ventilator – the same number as yesterday.
From 15 to 21 March, an average number of 26.1 deaths occurred per day, marking a 6.4% increase compared to the week before.
The total number of deaths in the country since the beginning of the pandemic is currently 22,786.
Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 10,693,594 tests have been carried out. Of those tests, an average of 59,198.6 were taken per day over the past week, with a positivity rate of 7.7%.
The percentage went up by 0.9% compared to last week, while testing increased by 22%.
A total of 1,046,229 people in Belgium have received at least one dose of vaccine against coronavirus, or 11.4% of the population aged 18 and older. In addition, 458,493 people – or 5% of the adult population – have been fully vaccinated.
The reproduction rate, meanwhile, now stands at 1.17 meaning that one person with coronavirus infects more than one other person on average and that the pandemic is growing in Belgium.
The Brussels Times
