Covid latest: 20% hike in new cases
There’s been a further rise in the number of new cases of coronavirus. Hospitalisations too are up.
On average in the week to 24 February 126 patients with Covid, the disease caused by coronavirus, were hospitalised each day. The figure is up 5% on the week.
On Wednesday 150 patients were hospitalised. 145 were discharged.
1,748 patients are currently in hospital with Covid. 362 are in intensive care. 178 are on a ventilator. The number of people in critical care has remained more or less constant, between 300 and 400, since January.
In the week to 21 February on average 30 deaths a day were linked to Covid. The figure is down 24% on the week.
On average during the last seven-day observation period, the week to 21 February, 2,201 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed each day. The figure is 20% up on the week.
Virologists had expected the rise. Prof Van Gucht notes a rise in cases among people in the 20 to 60 age category, but less among teenagers. He believes increased contacts and the presence of the Kent variant are playing a role.
On average 37,700 tests are carried out each day in the week to 21 February. The figure is down 12% on the week.
6.6% of tests came back positive, up from 6.5% yesterday.
By 23 February 428,729 people in Belgium had received their first shot of the corona vaccine. That’s 4.65% of the adult population. 280,839 people have had their second jab.