COVID-19: figures keep doing down at a fast pace despite emerging omicron variant
All corona figures in Belgium are improving. The number of IC patients has dropped further to reach 660. Meanwhile, the omicron variant is gaining ground, accounting for about 40 percent of the new cases now.
During the last seven-day observation period, the week to 20 December, 7,472 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed each day on average. The figure is down 36% on the week. Omicron is conquering the country, but this is not leading to higher figures of new cases yet.
Belgium's reproduction number (R-value) has dropped to 0.77 (-0.09). This means that each 100 sick people are passing the virus on to 77 others and that the epidemic is shrinking.
In the week to 23 December 159 patients were transferred to hospital each day on average. The figure is down 33% on the week.
The total number of Covid patients in Belgian hospitals has dropped to 2,205 - this is 116 less than yesterday and 26% down on the week. 660 patients are in a bad way and are receiving treatment in intensive care (IC) units - this number is 33 people down on yesterday and 16% down on the week.
The number of daily fatalities that can be linked to Covid stands at 36 each day.