COVID-19 patients in hospital top 2,000
Figures from the Belgian health science institute Sciensano show a further steep rise in new cases of coronavirus fuelled by the surge of omicron variant. Daily hospitalisations too are up.
On average during the last seven-day observation period, the week to 9 January, 22,189 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed each day. The figure is up a whopping 88% on the week. Nearly 83% of people who tested positive on 3 January had omicron variant.
In the week to 12 January on average 182 patients a day were hospitalised. The figure is up 7% on the week.
2,022 patients are currently in hospital with Covid. The figure is up 7% on the week. 423 patients are in intensive care – down 10% on the week.
In the week to 7 January on average 19 deaths a day were linked to Covid. The figure is 20% down on the previous week. Since the start of the pandemic 28,566 deaths have been linked to Covid.
On average 86,500 tests are carried out each day in the week to 9 January – a 29% rise on the week. 27.1% of tests came back positive – a rise of 8.7%.
So far, since the start of the pandemic, 2,347,184 people have tested positive in Belgium.
Belgium’s reproduction figure stands at 1.04 – down 12% on the week. 100 sick people pass the virus on to 104 others and the pandemic is widening.
5,271,800 people have had a booster or third jab. 77% of the population is fully vaccinated.