Almost one-fifth of all people living in Belgium have received a coronavirus booster dose, while almost a quarter of all adults aged over 18 has been given an extra dose.
As of Monday, more than 2.16 million people have received a booster dose of a coronavirus vaccine, representing 23% of over -18s and 19% of the entire population, according to figures published by the Sciensano Public Health Institute on Wednesday morning.
The majority of adults should have had the opportunity to get a booster dose by March 2022.
Meanwhile, more than 8.71 million people are fully vaccinated, accounting for 88% of the adult population in Belgium, and 76% of the total population.
Between 28 November and 4 December, an average of 16,860 new coronavirus infections were identified every day, a 6% decrease from the previous seven days.
The number of tests taken also decreased, by 5% since last week, to 111,902.6. However, the positivity rate continues to increase, now sitting at 16.8%.
During the same period, an average of 47.6 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 27,360.
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Between 1 and 7 December, an average of 293 patients suffering from Covid-19 were admitted to hospitals per day, a 9% decrease since the last seven days. This could mean the peak of the fourth wave may have been reached in hospitals as well.
On Tuesday, a total of 3,554 people were in hospitals due to an infection (98 fewer than on Monday), including 815 patients being treated in intensive care (-1), with 437 on a ventilator (-1).
The reproduction rate (Rt) dropped below 1 for the first time since mid-October to 0.94. 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 32% and now sits at 2,111.6 over the past 14 days.
