More COVID-19 patients in hospital, fewer in intensive care
The public health science institute Sciensano has released the latest figures on the coronavirus pandemic in Belgium. They show a further sizable increase in the number of new infections that are being registered each day. Hospitalisations too are up. However, the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care is down as is the number of people with COVID-19 that are dying.
During the week from 4 to 10 January an average of 23,642 people tested positive for coronavirus in Belgium each day. This is an increase of 71% on the 7-day average for the previous week.
During the same period an average of 86,500 coronavirus tests were carried out each day 29% more than during the previous week. Of those tested 27.1% tested positive for coronavirus.
The basic reproductive rate for coronavirus in Belgium currently stands at 1.04. This means that every 100 people with the virus infect an average of 104 others.
Hospitalisations and deaths
During the week from 7 to 13 January an average of 183 patients with coronavirus were hospitalised each day. This is up 7% on the figures for the previous week. The total number of patients with COVID-19 in the country’s hospitals continues to increase.
On Thursday 13 January the country’s hospitals reported that they have a total of 2,040 patients with COVID-19. Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 patients on ICUs continues to fall. There are currently 406 COVID-19 patients on the intensive care wards of the country’s hospitals. This is down 14% on a week ago.
During the week from 4 to 10 January an average of 19 people with COVID-19 died in Belgium each day. Since the onset of the pandemic 28,589 people with COVID-19 have died here.
Vaccinations (figures from 11 January)
So far 8,946,936 people in Belgium have received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine. Of these 8,821,526 people have been fully immunised. This is 77% of the whole population. 47% of the population (5,393,722) has received an additional, so-called “booster” jab.