The curve with contamination figures continues to fall in our country, but the decline is slower. Last week, an average of 4,805 people became infected in Belgium every day, 39 percent less than the week before, or halving every 10 days. “Until recently, the decrease was 50 percent, or a halving every 7 to 8 days,” says virologist Steven Van Gucht.
READ ALSO. Steven Van Gucht: “All figures are falling, quarantine remains crucial”
It is striking that in Limburg, as in East Flanders and Walloon Brabant, the figures are no longer falling. For several days now, the number of new infections in our province has remained stable at around 220 per day. “We don’t have a clear explanation for this for the time being, but it is an important signal that we are going to follow up closely,” says Steven Van Gucht. “The coming days will have to show whether or not this is a temporary phenomenon.”
According to Van Gucht, this delay is in any case not the result of the reopening of the schools. “It’s too early to see the effects of this,” says the virologist. “This is also not linked to the expansion of the test strategy, because it will only take effect next week.”
More Covid patients
Good news is that for the first time during this second wave, all corona figures at national level are declining. “Unfortunately, 185 people are still dying from Covid-19 every day at the moment, although that is 5 percent less than the week before. This is the first decrease in a few weeks, ”says Van Gucht. At the peak of the second wave (on Nov. 6), there were still 216 Covid deaths in one day.
READ ALSO. Today we are mainly infected at work and in family
The number of Covid patients in hospitals also continues to decline. There are now 1,359 Covid patients on intensive care, while at the peak (on November 9) there were 1,474. The ordinary Covid wards still receive 6,264 patients, compared to 7,489 at the peak on 3 November.
MAP. View the number of corona infections in your municipality here
The hospital figures in Limburg do not follow this national trend for the time being. After all, just like the number of new infections, the number of hospital admissions in our province is also stabilizing. More than that: they even rise slightly. At the moment there are 289 Covid patients in the seven Limburg hospitals, which is one patient more than the day before.
The number of intensive Covid patients has also risen slightly from 79 to 80. This increase in the number of Covid patients in Limburg cannot be explained because there are more transfers. After all, no more patients were brought to Limburg from Liège and Brussels in recent days.
Van Gucht: “All figures are falling”
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