Coronavirus: more than 25,000 positive tests on Monday
The public health science institute Sciensano has released the latest figures on the coronavirus pandemic in Belgium. They show further rises in the number of new infections, hospitalisations and deaths. A new record was set on Monday 22 November when for the first time since the onset of the pandemic more than 25,000 people in Belgium tested positive for coronavirus.
During the week from 16 to 22 November an average of 16,762 people tested positive for coronavirus each day. This is a rise of 48% on the daily average for the previous 7 days. On Monday 22 November a record 25,365 people tested positive for coronavirus. This is more than 3,000 up on the previous record number of positive test results (22,221) that was set on 27 October 2020 at the height of the second wave. Since the onset of the pandemic there have been more than 1.7 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in Belgium.
During the week from 16 to 22 November an average of 110,100 people were tested for coronavirus each day. This is up 33% on the average number of tests carried out during the previous week. Of those tested 15.9% tested positive, a rise of 1.8 percentage points on the previous week. The basic reproductive rate (R0) for coronavirus currently stands at 1.23. This means that on average every 100 people with coronavirus infect a further 123 others.
During the week from 19 to 25 November an average of 303 people with COVID-19 were hospitalised each day. This is up 22% on the previous week. There are currently 3,462 COVID-19 patients in the country’s hospitals (up 21% on a week ago). Of these 669 are on ICUs, a rise of 16% on the figures this time last week.
Meanwhile, the number of deaths among people with COVID-19 continues to increase. During the week from 16 to 22 November an average of 36 people with COVID-19 died in Belgium each day, a rise of 16% on the previous week. Since the onset of the pandemic 26,793 people with COVID-19 have died in Belgium.