Sixty new corona infections have been diagnosed in the Netherlands since Friday afternoon. This brings the total number of people infected with the virus to 188, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) reports Saturday.
Of the 188 patients, 112 have been abroad, the majority (103) in northern Italy. 47 people became infected through another infected person. Of 29 it is still unclear how they became infected; that is being investigated.
Most new cases in Noord-Brabant
Most new cases (26) were reported in Noord-Brabant. Residents of that province with complaints such as a cold, cough or fever were asked by the RIVM on Friday to stay at home. At the beginning of next week, RIVM expects to say more about the distribution in North Brabant.
The reason for the call is that for a number of infected persons in the province no source of the infection is known. To find out to what extent the virus is spreading in Noord-Brabant, the RIVM started a sample on Saturday morning to test for the virus.
The first death involved a man from Hoeksche Waard
On Friday, for the first time, someone in the Netherlands died of the effects of the COVID-19 virus. The 86-year-old man from Hoeksche Waard was admitted to the Ikazia Hospital in Rotterdam.
A first sharp increase in the number of corona cases in the Netherlands became visible on Thursday. “A well-known phenomenon”, says RIVM boss Jaap van Dissel. “With these types of outbreaks, you always see a sharp increase in the number of cases after an initial hesitant start.”
Follow the latest developments regarding the virus in our live blog.
The coronavirus in short
- The virus spreads mainly through cough and sneeze drops that hang in the air for a short time. Anyone who shows no symptoms is hardly a risk of infection.
- An infected person infects two to three others on average. However, this figure is falling due to all precautions.
- The vast majority have mild (flu-like) symptoms.
- Almost all deaths concern older or already sick people.
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