COVID-19: cases and hospitalisations down for third day in a row
Figures from the Belgian health science institute Sciensano show a further fall in hospitalisations and new cases, but pressure on the health care system remains immense.
On average during the last seven-day observation period, the week to 5 December, 16,718 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed each day. The figure is down 7% on the week.
Since the start of the pandemic there have been 1.889,498 million recorded cases.
In the week to 8 December on average 286 patients a day were hospitalised. The figure is down 11% on the week.
3,517 patients are currently in hospital with Covid – down 6% on the week. 825 patients are in intensive care – up 4% on the week.
In the week to 5 December on average 50 deaths a day were linked to Covid. The figure is 16% up on the previous week. Since the start of the pandemic 27,416 deaths have been linked to Covid.
On average over 109,300 tests are carried out each day in the week to 5 December - a 9% decrease on the week. 16.9% of tests come back positive – a 0.7% increase on the week.
Belgium’s Reproduction number stands at 0.92 and has fallen back 13%. A hundred sick people pass the virus on to 92 and the epidemic is no longer widening.
2,253,943 people have had a booster or third jab. 76% of the population is fully vaccinated.