Archive COVID-19 updates

13 September 2023 | 17:00

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 13 September 2023

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 36 (4 – 10 September 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load increased slightly (12%) compared to the week before. Last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 in the Infection Radar survey increased slightly (from 2.7% to 3.0%) compared to the week before that. The daily average number of hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased (32%).

Since July, an upward trend has been observed in COVID-19 figures (viral load in sewage, percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with relevant symptoms or a positive test result, and hospital admissions). Compared to the same period (early September) last year, the viral load in sewage and the percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with relevant symptoms are comparable. The number of hospital admissions is lower now than in the same period last year.

Virus variants

Many different XBB variants were found in sewage and in pathogen surveillance, including XBB.1.5, XXB.1.9, EG.5 and XBB.1.16.

EG.5, an XBB.1.9 sub-variant that was recently designated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a ‘Variant of Interest’, was the variant found most frequently in sewage in week 35, and was also the most common variant observed in pathogen surveillance. BA.2.86, a BA.2 sub-variant reported in multiple locations around the world in recent weeks, has not yet been detected in pathogen surveillance, but has been found in sewage at a number of locations. This variant shows many genetic differences compared to the other variants currently circulating internationally, and is therefore being closely monitored worldwide. At this time, there are no indications that these variants and sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 36 (4 - 10 September)	Week 35 (28 August - 3 September)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	464	416
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	289/311²	302/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	16,505,937	16,875,446
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 36	Week 35
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	3.0%	2.7%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.8%	0.7%
¹Based on data available at RIVM on Wednesday 13 Sepetember 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated. ²In the first half of last week, ideally one sewage sample from each sampling location was analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of that week. ³Ideally, a total of 2 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week. ⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based. ⁵The daily number of unique survey participants reporting possible COVID-19 symptoms who filled out a survey questionnaire, summed up for the entire calendar week (Monday through Sunday). This number is divided by the daily number of unique participants who filled out a survey questionnaire. ⁶The daily number of unique survey participants reporting a positive COVID-19 test, summed up for the entire calendar week (Monday through Sunday). The positive test result could come from a self-test, PCR test or rapid antigen test. These results are not from the nose and throat swabs sent in through the self-test study that started in September 2022. ⁷ On working days, the National Coordination Centre for Patient Distribution (LCPS) reports the number of newly admitted patients with SARS-CoV-2 in nursing wards between 10:00 on the previous day and 10:00 on the reporting day, and the number of beds occupied by patients with SARS-CoV-2 in the nursing wards and ICU wards at 10:00 on the reporting day. The day before the reporting day is considered to be the admission date. The average number of newly admitted patients in the nursing ward and the average number of beds occupied in the nursing ward and ICU per day for a calendar week (Monday to Sunday) is calculated by adding the number of patients or number of occupied beds per admission day in a calendar week and dividing by the number of admission days for which figures are reported.
Hospital admissions by calendar week⁷	Week 36	Week 35
Daily average number of new admissions to nursing wards involving patients with SARS-CoV-2 (source: LCPS)	41	31
Daily average bed occupancy in nursing wards by patients with SARS-CoV-2 Daily average bed occupancy in the ICU by patients with SARS-CoV-2 (source: LCPS)	139 6	107 7

6 September 2023 | 19:30

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 6 September 2023

As of Wednesday 6 September, the LCPS data will be used to monitor COVID-19 hospital admissions, instead of the NICE data. For more details, see the metadata.

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 35 (28 August – 3 September 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load increased slightly (13%) compared to the week before. Last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 in the Infection Radar survey increased (from 2.1% to 2.7%) compared to the week before that. The daily average number of hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased slightly (9%).
Since July, an upward trend has been observed in COVID-19 figures (viral load in sewage, percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with relevant symptoms or a positive test result, and hospital admissions). Compared to the same period (early September) last year, the viral load in sewage and the number of hospital admissions are lower now, and the percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with relevant symptoms is comparable.

Virus variants

In week 34, many different XBB variants were found in sewage. The main variant found was XBB.1.9, but also XBB.1.5, XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.22. EG.5 (a sub-variant of XBB.1.9) was detected most frequently. The mutations specific to the BA.2.86 variant have been found in sewage at a number of locations.

Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5, XBB.1.9 and XXB.1.16) is responsible for the highest number of infections. EG.5, an XBB.1.9 sub-variant that was recently designated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a ‘Variant of Interest’, has also been found in the Netherlands and is on the rise. At this time, there are no indications that the XBB sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants. BA.2.86 has not yet been found in pathogen surveillance. Last week Two weeks ago

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 35 (28 August - 3 September)	Week 34 (21 - 27 August)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	403	356
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	298/311²	306/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	16,597,053	16,978,928
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 35	Week 34
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	2.7%	2.1%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.7%	0.4%

Hospital admissions by calendar week⁷	Week 35	Week 34
Daily average number of new admissions to nursing wards involving patients with SARS-CoV-2 (source: LCPS)	31	28
Daily average bed occupancy in nursing wards by patients with SARS-CoV-2 Daily average bed occupancy in the ICU by patients with SARS-CoV-2 (source: LCPS)	107 7	87 3

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Wednesday 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, ideally one sewage sample was taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 2 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

⁵The daily number of unique survey participants reporting possible COVID-19 symptoms who filled out a survey questionnaire, summed up for the entire calendar week (Monday through Sunday). This number is divided by the daily number of unique participants who filled out a survey questionnaire.

⁶The daily number of unique survey participants reporting a positive COVID-19 test, summed up for the entire calendar week (Monday through Sunday). The positive test result could come from a self-test, PCR test or rapid antigen test. These results are not from the nose and throat swabs sent in through the self-test study that started in September 2022.

⁷ On working days, the National Coordination Centre for Patient Distribution (LCPS) reports the number of newly admitted patients with SARS-CoV-2 in nursing wards between 10:00 on the previous day and 10:00 on the reporting day, and the number of beds occupied by patients with SARS-CoV-2 in the nursing wards and ICU wards at 10:00 on the reporting day. The day before the reporting day is considered to be the admission date. The average number of newly admitted patients in the nursing ward and the average number of beds occupied in the nursing ward and ICU per day for a calendar week (Monday to Sunday) is calculated by adding the number of patients or number of occupied beds per admission day in a calendar week and dividing by the number of admission days for which figures are reported.

29 August 2023 | 16:20

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 29 August 2023

This update will be posted on Wednesday afternoons from now on. The next update will be on Wednesday 6 September.

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 33 (14 – 20 August 2023), sewage surveillance showed showed that the national average viral load decreased slightly (-12%) compared to the week before. In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 remained stable compared to the week before that (2.1%). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased (+22%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 remained low. There were 5 ICU admissions last week, compared to 4 ICU admissions in the week before. Although there had been increases since July, COVID-19 figures (viral load, percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with relevant symptoms or a positive test result, and hospital admissions) are currently low.

Virus variants

In week 32, many different XBB variants were found in sewage. The main variant found was XBB.1.9, but also XBB.1.5, XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.22. In addition, XBB.1.9 sub-variant EG.5 has increasingly been found in sewage since week 27. The mutations specific to the BA.2.86 variant have not yet been found in sewage or in pathogen surveillance.

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 34 (21 - 22 August)	Week 33 (14 - 20 August)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	292	275
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	208/311²	288/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	12,601,471	15,674,703
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 34	Week 33
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	2.1%	2.1%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.4%	0.4%

Hospital admissions by calendar week⁷	Week 34	Week 33
Total recorded new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) Recorded new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁸	61 56	50 43
Total recorded new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 Recorded new ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁸	5 4	4 4

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 28 August 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, ideally one sewage sample was taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 2 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

⁷ The number of hospital admissions in the previous week based on the data available as of last Tuesday, and the number of admissions last week based on the data available when this update is posted. The number of admissions registered by hospitals through the NICE Foundation may be lower than the total number of admissions. RIVM therefore monitors trends in increases and decreases in the number of recorded admissions.

⁸Not all patients admitted to hospital with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 have COVID-19 as the main reason or one of the reasons for hospital admission. Patients for whom it is known that admission was due to other reasons than a SARS-CoV-2 infection, who do not need treatment for the SARS-CoV-2 infection, are not counted here. Patients for whom the admission reason is unknown or not yet known will be counted here.

22 August 2023 | 15:50

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 22 August 2023

From Wednesday 6 September on, this update will be posted on Wednesday afternoons

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 32 (7 – 13 August 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load increased significantly (+58%) compared to the week before. In the first half of week 33 (14 – 16 August), the average viral load decreased (-22%). In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 increased slightly compared to the week before that (from +2.0% to +2.1%). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased (+19%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 remained low. There were 4 ICU admissions last week, compared to 3 ICU admissions in the week before. Although there have been increases since July, COVID-19 figures (viral load, percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with relevant symptoms or a positive test result, and hospital admissions) are currently low.

Virus variants

In week 31, many different XBB variants were found in sewage. The main variant found was XBB.1.9, but also XBB.1.5, XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.22. In addition, XBB.1.9 sub-variant EG.5 has increasingly been found in sewage since week 27. The mutations specific to the BA.2.86 variant have not yet been found in the sewage samples tested so far or in pathogen surveillance.

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 33 (14 - 16 August)	Week 32 (7 - 13 August)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	257	328
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	172/311²	270/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	9,471,233	15,567,070
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 33	Week 32
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	2.1%	2.0%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.4%	0.2%

Hospital admissions by calendar week⁷	Week 33	Week 32
Total recorded new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) Recorded new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁸	50 43	42 41
Total recorded new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 Recorded new ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁸	4 4	3 3

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 21 August 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, ideally at least one sewage sample was taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 2 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

15 August 2023 | 15:50

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 15 August 2023

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 31 (31 July – 6 August 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load increased (+26%) compared to the week before. In the first half of week 32 (7 – 9 August), the average viral load continued to increase (+41%). In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 remained about the same (from 1.9% to 2.0%) compared to the week before that. The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased slightly (+8%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 remained low. There were 3 ICU admissions last week, compared to 2 ICU admissions in the week before. Although there have been increases over the past four weeks, as seen in various sources (sewage surveillance, Infection Radar and hospital admissions), COVID-19 figures are still low compared to previous time periods.

Virus variants

In week 30, many different XBB variants were found in sewage. The main variant found was XBB.1.9, but also XBB.1.5, XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.22. In addition, XBB.1.9 sub-variant EG.5 has increasingly been found in sewage since week 27.

Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5, XXB.1.9 and XBB.1.16) is responsible for the highest number of infections. EG.5, an XBB.1.9 sub-variant that was recently designated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a ‘Variant of Interest’, has also been found in the Netherlands and is on the rise. At this time, there are no indications that the XBB sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 32 (7 - 9 August)	Week 31 (31 July - 6 August)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	279	198
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	171/311²	275/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	10,590,327	15,895,937
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 32	Week 31
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	2.0%	1.9%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.2%	0.2%

Hospital admissions by calendar week⁷	Week 31	Week 30
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁸	42 41	39 36
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁸	3 3	2 2

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 14 August 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, ideally at least one sewage sample was taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 2 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

08 August 2023 | 16:45

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 08 August 2023

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 30 (24 – 30 July 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load increased (+50%) compared to the week before. In the first half of week 30 (31 July – 2 August), the average viral load continued to increase (+25%). In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 increased (from 1.8% to 1.9%) compared to the week before that. The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased (+39%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 remained low. There were 2 ICU admissions last week, compared to 4 ICU admissions in the week before. Although there are increases, COVID-19 figures (viral load, percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with relevant symptoms or a positive test result, and hospital admissions) are currently very low.

Virus variants

In week 29, many different XBB variants were found in sewage. The main variant found was XBB.1.9, but also XBB.1.5, XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.22. Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5, XXB.1.9 and XBB.1.16) is responsible for the highest number of infections. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 31 (31 July - 2 August)	Week 30 (24 to 30 July)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	186	148
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	188/311²	299/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	12,504,742	16,452,516
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 31	Week 30
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	1.9%	1.8%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.2%	0.1%

Hospital admissions by calendar week⁷	Week 31	Week 30
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁸	39 36	28 24
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁸	2 2	4 4

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 7 August 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, ideally at least one sewage sample was taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 2 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

01 August 2023 | 16:45

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 01 August 2023

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 29 (17 – 23 July 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load increased somewhat (+14%) compared to the week before. In the first half of week 29 (24 – 27 July), the average viral load continued to increase somewhat (+20%). In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 increased (from 1.5% to 1.8%) compared to the week before that. The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased (+17%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 remained low. There were 4 ICU admissions last week, compared to 2 ICU admissions in the week before. Although there are minor increases, COVID-19 figures (viral load, percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with relevant symptoms or a positive test result, and hospital admissions) are currently very low.

Virus variants

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 30 (24 - 27 July)	Week 29 (17 to 23 July)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	108	91
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	258/311²	303/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	13,295,976	17,252,998
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 30	Week 29
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	1.8%	1.5%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.1%	0.2%

Hospital admissions by calendar week⁷	Week 30	Week 29
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁸	28 24	24 24
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁸	4 4	2 2

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 1 August 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday and/or Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 2 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

25 July 2023 | 16:45

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 25 July 2023

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 28 (10 – 16 July 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load increased (+40%) compared to the week before. In the first half of week 29 (17 – 19 July), the average viral load continued to increase slightly (+7%). In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 increased slightly (from 1.3% to 1.5%) compared to the week before that. The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased slightly (+8%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 remained low. There were 2 ICU admissions last week, just like the week before. Although there are minor increases, COVID-19 figures (viral load, percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with relevant symptoms or a positive test result, and hospital admissions) are currently very low.

Virus variants

In week 28, various XBB variants were found in sewage. The main variant found was XBB.1.9, but also XBB.1.5, XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.22. The BA.5 variant has also been found in sewage again. Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5, XXB.1.9 and XBB.1.16) is responsible for the highest number of infections. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 29 (17 - 19 July)	Week 28 (10 to 16 July)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	89	83
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	203/311²	307/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	12,391,602	17,119,632
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 29	Week 28
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	1.5%	1.3%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.2%	0.1%

Hospital admissions by calendar week⁷	Week 29	Week 28
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁸	24 24	22 21
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁸	2 2	2 2

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 24 July2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday and/or Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 3 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

18 July 2023 | 16:45

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 18 July 2023

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 27 (3 – 9 July 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load increased (+16%) compared to the week before. In the first half of week 28 (10 – 12 July), the average viral load continued to increase (+45%). Despite this, the number of virus particles in sewage is currently very low. In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 remained about the same (from 1.4% to 1.3%) compared to the week before that. The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased slightly (-8%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 remained low. There were 2 ICU admissions last week, compared to 1 ICU admission in the week before.

Virus variants

In week 26, various XBB variants were found in sewage. The main variant found was XBB.1.5, but also XBB.1.9, XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.22. Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5, XXB.1.9 and XBB.1.16) is responsible for the highest number of infections. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 28 (10 - 12 July)	Week 27 (3 to 9 July)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	82	57
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	274/311²	304/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	15,972,839	17,184,142
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 28	Week 27
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	1.3%	1.4%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.1%	0.1%

Hospital admissions by calendar week⁷	Week 28	Week 27
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁸	22 21	24 23
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁸	2 2	1 1

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 17 July2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday and/or Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 3 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

11 July 2023 | 17:40

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 11 July 2023

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 26 (26 June - 2 July 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral loaddecreased (-19%) compared to the week before. In the first half of week 27 (3 – 5 July), the average viral load stabilised (+2%). In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 remained about the same (from 1.5% to 1.4%) compared to the week before that. The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased (-17%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 remained low. There was 1 ICU admission last week, compared to 2 ICU admissions in the week before.

Virus variants

In week 26, many different XBB variants were found in sewage. The main variant found was XBB.1.5, but also XBB.1.9, XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.22. Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5, XXB.1.9 and XBB.1.16) is responsible for the highest number of infections. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 27 (3 - 5 July)	Week 26 (26 June to 2 July)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	52	51
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	249/311²	305/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	13,667,583	16,633,007
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 27	Week 26
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	1.4%	1.5%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.1%	0.1%

Hospital admissions by calendar week⁷	Week 27	Week 26
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁸	24 23	29 27
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁸	1 1	2 1

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 10 July2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday and/or Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 3 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

7 July 2023 | 16:15

COVID-19 vaccination available in autumn 2023 for risk groups and care workers

A new vaccination round against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 will be available in autumn 2023, for people who have a higher risk of serious illness due to COVID-19. This COVID-19 vaccination round will restore a sufficient level of protection against serious illness and hospital admission. Care workers who have direct contact with patients will also have the opportunity to get a COVID-19 vaccination this autumn. No information is available yet on exactly when the autumn round will start.

The Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) sent this recommendation to the House of Representatives, the advisory report by the Health Council of the Netherlands to launch a structural vaccination programme against COVID-19 this autumn.

Read the news item on the website of the Dutch government (in Dutch).

Download the advisory letter to Parliament and annexed documents (in Dutch).

4 July 2023 | 15:40

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 4 July 2023

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 25 (19 – 25 June 2023), , sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load decreased (-15%) compared to the week before. In the first half of week 26 (26 – 28 June), the average viral load continued to decrease (-22%). In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 decreased (from 1.8% to 1.5%) compared to the week before that. The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased slightly (+7%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 remained low. There were 2 ICU admissions last week, compared to 4 ICU admissions in the week before.

Virus variants

In week 24, many different XBB variants were found in sewage. The main variant found was XBB.1.5, but also XBB.1.9, XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.22. Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5, XXB.1.9 and XBB.1.16) is responsible for the highest number of infections. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 26 (26 to28 June)	Week 25 (19 to 25 June)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	49	63
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	280/311²	302/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	15,759,426	16,963,701
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 26	Week 25
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	1.5%	1.8%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.1%	0.1%

Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 26	Week 25
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁷	29 27	27 25
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁷	2 1	4 4

1Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 3 July2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

2 In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday and/or Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

3 Ideally, a total of 3 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

4 Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

5The daily number of unique survey participants reporting possible COVID-19 symptoms who filled out a survey questionnaire, summed up for the entire calendar week (Monday through Sunday). This number is divided by the daily number of unique participants who filled out a survey questionnaire.

6The daily number of unique survey participants reporting a positive COVID-19 test, summed up for the entire calendar week (Monday through Sunday). The positive test result could come from a self-test, PCR test or rapid antigen test. These results are not from the nose and throat swabs sent in through the self-test study that started in September 2022.

7Not all patients admitted to hospital with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 have COVID-19 as the main reason or one of the reasons for hospital admission. Patients for whom it is known that admission was due to other reasons than a SARS-CoV-2 infection, who do not need treatment for the SARS-CoV-2 infection, are not counted here. Patients for whom the admission reason is unknown or not yet known will be counted here.

27 June 2023 | 15:15

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 27 June 2023

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 24 (12 - 18 June 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load decreased (-33%) compared to the week before. In the first half of week 25 (19 – 21 June), the average viral load stabilised (-1%). In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 stabilised compared to the week before that (remaining at 1.8% in both weeks). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased (-39%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 remained low. There were 4 ICU admissions last week, compared to 6 ICU admissions in the week before.

Virus variants

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 25 (19 to21 June)	Week 24 (12 to 18 June)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	72	73
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	271/311²	305/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	15,383,175	17,053,253
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 25	Week 24
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	1.8%	1.8%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.1%	0.1%

Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 25	Week 24
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁷	27 25	44 41
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁷	4 4	6 6

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 26 June 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday and/or Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 3 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

⁷Not all patients admitted to hospital with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 have COVID-19 as the main reason or one of the reasons for hospital admission. Patients for whom it is known that admission was due to other reasons than a SARS-CoV-2 infection, who do not need treatment for the SARS-CoV-2 infection, are not counted here. Patients for whom the admission reason is unknown or not yet known will be counted here.

20 June 2023 | 15:00

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 20 June 2023

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 23 (5 - 11 June 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load decreased (-22%) compared to the week before. In the first half of week 24 (14 – 14 June), the average viral load continued to decrease (-28%). In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 decreased slightly compared to the week before that (from 2.1% to 1.8%). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased slightly (-12%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 remained low. There were 6 ICU admissions last week, compared to 5 ICU admissions in the week before.

Virus variants

In week 23, many different XBB variants were found in sewage. The main variant found was XBB.1.5, but also XBB.1.9, XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.22. Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5, XXB.1.9 and XBB.1.16) is responsible for the highest number of infections. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 24 (12 to14 June)	Week 23 (5 to 11 June)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	79	109
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	275/311²	303/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	16,062,200	16,964,106
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 24	Week 23
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	1.8%	2.1%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.1%	0.2%

Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 24	Week 23
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁷	44 41	50 40
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁷	6 6	5 4

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 19 June 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday and/or Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 3 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

13 June 2023 | 16:10

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 13 June 2023

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 22 (29 May – 4 June 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load decreased slightly (-14%) compared to the week before. In the first half of week 23 (5 – 7 June), the average viral load continued to decrease (-21%). In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 decreased slightly compared to the week before that (from 2.2% to 2.1%). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased (-22%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 was already low and remained stable. There were 5 ICU admissions last week, compared to 5 ICU admissions in the week before.

Virus variants

In week 22, many different XBB variants were found in sewage. The main variant found was XBB.1.5, but also XBB.1.9, XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.22. Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillancehas shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5, XXB.1.9 and XBB.1.16) is responsible for the highest number of infections. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

Current status of the coronavirus thermometer

As of 16 September 2022, the Coronavirus Dashboard provided by the national government has also included the coronavirus thermometer. The thermometer offers a visual representation of pressure on society and healthcare as a result of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The coronavirus thermometer is based on the epidemiological situation and the associated RIVM analysis.

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 23 (5 to 7 June)	Week 22 (29 May to 4 June)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	111	140
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	287/311²	307/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	16,258,261	17,038,335
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 23	Week 22
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	2.1%	2.2%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.1%	0.2%

Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 23	Week 22
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁷	50 40	64 56
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁷	5 4	6 2

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 12 June 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday and/or Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 3 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

06 June 2023 | 17:00

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 6 June 2023

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 21 (22 – 28 May 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load decreased slightly (-8%) compared to the week before. In the first half of week 22 (29 – 31 May), the average viral load continued to decrease (-25%). In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 decreased slightly compared to the week before that (from 2.4% to 2.2%). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased slightly (+12%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 was already low and remained stable. There were 5 ICU admissions last week, compared to 5 ICU admissions in the week before. The upward trend in the number of hospital admissions is expected to be lower in actual reality, due to a backlog in registrations on the Tuesday after Pentecost weekend.

Virus variants

In week 21, as in previous weeks, the XBB.1.5 variant was observed most frequently in sewage. In addition, an increase was observed in XBB.1.9, XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.22. Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5, XXB.1.9 and XXB.1.16) is responsible for the highest number of infections. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

Current status of the coronavirus thermometer

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 22 (29 to 31 May)	Week 21 (22 to 28 May)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	122	162
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	231/311²	306/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	12,311,847	17,050,723
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 22	Week 21
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	2.2%	2.4%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.2%	0.3%

Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 22	Week 21
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁷	64 56	57 47
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁷	6 2	5 3

1Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 26 May 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

2 In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday and/or Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

3 Ideally, a total of 3 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

4 Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

30 May 2023 | 17:00

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 30 May 2023

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 20 (15 - 21 May 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load decreased (-48%) compared to the week before. In the first two days of week 21 (22 – 23 May), the average viral load stabilised (-3%). Due to a technical malfunction, there is no update from the Infection Radar survey this week. The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased (-38%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 was already low and remained stable. There were 5 ICU admissions last week, compared to 4 ICU admissions in the week before. The number of hospital admissions may have been affected by a backlog in registrations due to the long weekend over Pentecost.

Virus variants

In week 20, as in previous weeks, the XBB.1.5 variant was observed most frequently in sewage. XBB.1.9, XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.22 were also detected, among other variants. Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5 and XXB.1.9) is responsible for the highest number of infections. For the time being, the percentage of sub-variant XBB.1.16 is still limited. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

Current status of the coronavirus thermometer

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 21 (22 to 23 May)	Week 20 (15 to 21 May)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	172	177
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	172/311²	305/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	10,780,040	17,314,412
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 21*	Week 20
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	-	2.5%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	-	0.2%

Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 21	Week 20
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁷	57 47	92 87
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁷	5 3	4 4

*Due to a technical malfunction, there is no update from the Infection Radar survey this week.

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Friday afternoon, 26 May 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday and/or Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 3 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

23 May 2023 | 15:30

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 23 May 2023

Changes to the weekly updates

As the recommendations regarding testing and self-tests have been lifted and the GGD test lanes have been closed, this page now provides updates on fewer indicators from the various surveillance sources. From 14 March on, this weekly update no longer includes figures for new infections reported to the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs), positive tests from the GGD test lanes, or the reproduction number.

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 19 (8 - 14 May 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load decreased (-35%) compared to the week before. In the first half of week 20 (15 – 17 May), the average viral load continued to decrease (-46%). In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 remained stable compared to the week before that (2.5%). The number of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 also decreased slightly (from 0.3% to 0.2%). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased (-15%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 was already low and continued to decrease. There were 4 ICU admissions last week, compared to 9 ICU admissions in the week before.

Virus variants

In week 19, as in previous weeks, the XBB.1.5 variant was observed most frequently in sewage. XBB.1.22 and XBB.2.4 were also detected, among other variants, and XBB.1.9 is on the increase. XBB.1.16 and XCC were detected to a lesser extent. Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5 and XXB.1.9) is responsible for the highest number of infections. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

Current status of the coronavirus thermometer

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 20 (15 to 17 May)	Week 19 (8 to 14 May)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	188	349
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	210/311²	302/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	12,517,385	17,147,113
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 20	Week 19
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	2.5%	2.5%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.2%	0.3%

Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 20	Week 19
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁷	92 87	108 96
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁷	4 4	9 8

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 22 May 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday and/or Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 3 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

16 May 2023 | 16:30

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 16 May 2023

Changes to the weekly updates

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 18 (17 - 23 May 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load decreased very slightly (-5%) compared to the week before. In the first half of week 19 (8 – 10 May), the average viral load continued to decrease (-31%). In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 stabilised compared to the week before that (from 2.6% to 2.4%). The percentage of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 remained the same (+0.3%). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased slightly (+14%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 remained low. There were 9 ICU admissions last week, and 9 in the week before. Due to a technical malfunction on Tuesday 2 May, the hospital admission figures from Monday last week and two weeks ago were compared, rather than from Tuesday as usual. As a result, the figures may not reflect the total number of admissions for last week.

Virus variants

In week 18, as in previous weeks, the XBB.1.5 variant was observed most frequently in sewage. XBB.1.22 and XBB.2.4 were also detected, among other variants, and XBB.1.9 is on the increase. Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5 and XXB.1.9) is responsible for the highest number of infections. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

Current status of the coronavirus thermometer

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 19 (8 to 10 May)	Week 18 (1 to 7 May)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	381	548
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	268/311²	305/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	15,315,499	17,047,916
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 19	Week 18
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	2.4%	2.6%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.3%	0.3%

Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 19	Week 18
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁷	108 96	95 80
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁷	9 8	9 5

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 15 May 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday and/or Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 3 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

9 May 2023 | 17:00

Vaccination figures for autumn round of COVID-19 repeat vaccination

From 19 September 2022 to 7 May 2023, more than 4.2 million repeat vaccinations against COVID-19 were administered. Vaccination coverage for the repeat vaccination among people over 60 has now reached 61.0%.

The repeat vaccination is available to everyone aged 12 years and older who has completed the basic series of COVID-19 vaccinations, and has not yet had a repeat vaccination since 18 September 2022. People can get the repeat vaccination starting from 3 months after their last COVID-19 vaccination or 3 months after having COVID-19. You can make an appointment via planjeprik.nl. Walk-in vaccinations are also still possible at many locations. For more information, see www.prikkenzonderafspraak.nl.

Table 1. Vaccination coverage for repeat vaccination against COVID-19 in the autumn round, completed basic series, week 38 (2022) to week 18 (2023). ^1-2

Age group	Birth year	Vaccination coverage for repeat vaccination in autumn round, in relation to population of the Netherlands	Vaccination coverage for repeat vaccination in autumn round, in relation to completed basic series
12 years and older	2010 and before	26.9%	33.6%
18 years and older	2004 and before	28.9%	35.2%
60 years and older	1962 and before	61.0%	65.4%

Source: CIMS+ method
The repeat vaccination is available to everyone aged 12 years and older who has completed the basic series of COVID-19 vaccinations. The first invitations were sent to people aged 60 years and older, people in medical risk groups, and care workers who have contact with patients or clients. From 22 February 2023, the repeat vaccination will also be available for children aged 5-11 years in medical high-risk groups who have completed the basic series. People who are eligible for a repeat vaccination can be vaccinated starting from 3 months after their last COVID-19 vaccination or 3 months after a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

9 May 2023 | 15:00

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 9 May 2023

Changes to the weekly updates

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 17 (24 - 30 April 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load decreased slightly (-%) compared to the week before. In the first two days of week 18 (1 – 2 May 2023), the average viral load continued to decrease (-1%). In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 stabilised compared to the week before that (from 2.6% to 2.7%). The percentage of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 decreased (from 0.5% to 0.3%). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased (-17%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 remained low. There were 9 ICU admissions last week, and 9 in the week before. Due to a technical malfunction on Tuesday 2 May, the hospital admission figures from Monday last week and two weeks ago were compared, rather than from Tuesday as usual. As a result, the figures may not reflect the total number of admissions for last week.

Virus variants

In week 17, as in previous weeks, the XBB.1.5 variant was observed most frequently in sewage. XBB.1.9, XBB.1.22 and XBB.2.4 were also detected, as well as XBB.1.16 and XCC to a lesser extent. Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5 and XXB.1.9) is responsible for the highest number of infections. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

Current status of the coronavirus thermometer

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 18 (1 to 2 May)	Week 17 (24 to 30 April)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	483	577
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	184/311²	305/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	9,600,975	17,238,100
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 18	Week 17
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	2.7%	2.6%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.3%	0.5%

Hospital admissions by calendar week*	Week 18	Week 17
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁷	95 80	115 105
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁷	9 5	9 8

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 8 May 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday and/or Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 3 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

* Based on figures as known on Monday 8 May 2023 (for week 18) and Monday 1 May 2023 (for week 17).

2 May 2023 | 18:15

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 2 May 2023

Changes to the weekly updates

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 16 (17 - 23 April 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load decreased (-34%) compared to the week before. In the first half of week 17 (24 – 25 April), the average viral load stabilised (-1%). In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 decreased slightly compared to the week before that (from 2.8% to 2.6%). The percentage of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 also decreased (from 0.6% to 0.5%). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased (-36%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 remained low. There were 9 ICU admissions last week, compared to 10 ICU admissions the week before. Due to a technical malfunction, the hospital admission figures from Monday last week and two weeks ago were compared, rather than from Tuesday as usual. As a result, the figures do not reflect the total number of admissions for last week.

Virus variants

In week 16, as in previous weeks, the XBB.1.5 variant was observed most frequently in sewage. XBB.1.9, XBB.1.22 and XBB.2.4 were also detected. Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5 and XXB.1.9) is responsible for the highest number of infections. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

Current status of the coronavirus thermometer

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

	Last week	Two weeks ago
Sewage surveillance	Week 17 (24 to 25 April)	Week 16 (17 to 23 April)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	618	625
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	217/311²	304/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	12,917,768	17,087,821
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 17	Week 16
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	2.6%	2.8%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.5%	0.6%

Hospital admissions by calendar week*	Week 17	Week 16
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁷	277 105	179 161
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁷	9 8	10 10

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 1 May 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday and/or Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 3 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

* Based on figures as known on Monday 1 May 2023 (for week 17) and Monday 24 April 2023 (for week 16).

25 April 2023 | 19:30

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 25 April 2023

Changes to the weekly updates

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 15 (10 - 16 April 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load stabilised (+2%) compared to the week before. In the first half of week 16 (17 – 19 April), the average viral load decreased again (-40%). In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 decreased slightly compared to the week before that (2.8%). The percentage of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 also decreased (dropping to 0.6%) compared to the week before that. The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 remained about the same (+1%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased slightly. There were 14 ICU admissions last week, compared to 15 ICU admissions the week before.

Virus variants

In week 15, as in previous weeks, the XBB.1.5 variant was observed most frequently in sewage. XBB.1.9, XBB.1.22 and XBB.2.4 were also detected. . Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5 and XXB.1.9) is responsible for the highest number of infections. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

Current status of the coronavirus thermometer

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

	Last week (first half of the week	Two weeks ago (first and second half of the week)
Sewage surveillance	Week 16 (17 to 19 April)	Week 15 (10 to 16 April)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	563	942
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	273/311²	308/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	15,513,809	17,282,492
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 16	Week 15
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	2.8%	3.1%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.6%	0.8%

Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 16	Week 15
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁷	277 250	281 250
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁷	14 14	15 12

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 24 April 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday and/or Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 3 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

18 April 2023 | 15:30

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 18 April 2023

Changes to the weekly updates

Current status of the coronavirus thermometer

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 14 (3 - 9 April 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load decreased by 26% compared to the week before. In the first half of week 15 (10 – 12 April), the average viral load increased, rising by 19%. In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 remained stable compared to the week before that (+3.1%). The number of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 also remained the same (staying at +0.8%) compared to the week before that. The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased (+24%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased slightly. There were 15 ICU admissions last week, compared to 17 ICU admissions the week before. The number of hospital admissions may have been affected by a backlog in registrations due to the Easter holidays.

Virus variants

In week 14, as in previous weeks, the XBB.1.5 variant was observed most frequently in sewage. An increase was also observed in XBB.1.9 and XBB.1.22. Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5 and XXB.1.9) is responsible for the highest number of infections. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

	Last week (first half of the week	Two weeks ago (first and second half of the week)
Sewage surveillance	Week 15 (10 to 12 April)	Week 14 (3 to 9April)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	1100	921
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	272/311²	307/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	15,248,353	17,292,145
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 15	Week 14
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	3.1%	3.1%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.8%	0.8%

Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 15	Week 14
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁷	281 250	226 199
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁷	15 12	17 14

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 17 April 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday and/or Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 3 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

12 April 2023 | 17:30

Vaccination figures for autumn round of COVID-19 repeat vaccination

From 19 September 2022 to 9 April 2023, more than 4.2 million repeat vaccinations against COVID-19 were administered. Vaccination coverage for the repeat vaccination among people over 60 has now reached 61.1%.

11 April 2023 | 15:30

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 11 April 2023

Changes to the weekly updates

Current status of the coronavirus thermometer

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 13 (27 March – 2 April 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load decreased by 30% compared to the week before. In the first two days of week 14 (3 – 4 April), the average viral load continued to decrease, dropping by 42%. In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 decreased slightly compared to the week before that (from 3.3% to 3.1%). The number of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 also decreased (from 1.2% to 0.8%) compared to the week before that. The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased (-50%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 also decreased. There were 17 ICU admissions last week, compared to 32 ICU admissions the week before. The number of hospital admissions may have been affected by a backlog in registrations due to the Easter holidays.

Virus variants

In week 13, as in previous weeks, the XBB.1.5 variant was observed most frequently in sewage. XBB.1.9 also continued to increase. Since week 7 of 2023,pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5 and XXB.1.9) is responsible for the highest number of infections. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

	Last week (first half of the week	Two weeks ago (first and second half of the week)
Sewage surveillance	Week 14 (3 to 4 April)	Week 13 (27 March to 2 April)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	726	1244
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	162/311²	307/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	10,310,918	17,234,668
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 14	Week 13
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	3.1%	3.3%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	0.8%	1.2%

Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 14	Week 13
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁷	226 199	453 406
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁷	17 14	32 29

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 10 April 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday and/or Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 3 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

4 April 2023 | 17:30

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 4 April 2023

Changes to the weekly updates

As the recommendations regarding testing and self-tests have been lifted and the GGD test lanes are closing, this page will provide updates on fewer indicators from the various surveillance sources. From 14 March on, this weekly update will no longer include figures for new infections reported to the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs), positive tests from the GGD test lanes, or the reproduction number.

Current status of the coronavirus thermometer

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 12 (20 – 26 March 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load increased slightly, rising by 13% compared to the week before. In the first half of week 13 (27 – 29 March 2023), the average viral load decreased again, dropping by 36%. In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 decreased slightly compared to the week before that (from 3.5% to 3.3%). The number of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 also decreased slightly (from 1.4% to 1.2%) compared to the week before that. The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased (-21%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 also decreased. There were 32 ICU admissions last week, compared to 42 ICU admissions the week before.

Virus variants

In week 12, as in previous weeks, the XBB.1.5 variant was observed most frequently in sewage. An increase was also observed in XBB.1.9. Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5 and XXB.1.9) is responsible for the highest number of infections. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

	Last week (first half of the week	Two weeks ago (first and second half of the week)
Sewage surveillance	Week 13 (27 to 29 March)	Week 12 (20 to 26 March)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	1141	1778
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	275/311²	306/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	15,694,892	17,174,090
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 13	Week 12
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	3.3%	3.5%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	1.2%	1.4%

Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 13	Week 12
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁷	453 406	577 509
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁷	32 29	42 30

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 3 April 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 3 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

28 March 2023 | 18:00

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 28 March 2023

Changes to the weekly updates

As the recommendations regarding testing and self-tests have been lifted and the GGD test lanes are closing, fewer indicators from the various surveillance sources will be included in this update. From 14 March on, this weekly update will no longer include figures for new infections reported to the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs), positive tests from the GGD test lanes, or the reproduction number.

Current status of the coronavirus thermometer

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 11 (13 – 19 March 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load decreased by 27% compared to the week before. In the first three half of week 11 (20 – 22 March 2023), the average viral load increased slightly, rising by 10%. In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 decreased slightly compared to the week before that (from 4.3% to 3.5%). The number of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 also decreased slightly (from 1.7% to 1.4%) compared to the week before that. The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased slightly (-16%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased. There were 42 ICU admissions last week, compared to 35 ICU admissions the week before.

Virus variants

In week 11, as in previous weeks, the XBB.1.5 variant was observed most frequently in sewage. An increase was also observed in XBB.1.9. Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5 and XXB.1.9) is responsible for the highest number of infections. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

	Last week (first half of the week	Two weeks ago (first and second half of the week)
Sewage surveillance	Week 12 (20 to 22 March)	Week 11 (13 to 19 March)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	1749	1585
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	268/311²	309/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	15,806,652	17,352,220
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 12	Week 11
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁵	3.5%	4.3%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁶	1.4%	1.7%

Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 12	Week 11
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁷	577 509	689 598
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁷	42 30	35 26

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 27 March 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 3 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

21 March 2023 | 17:30

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 21 March 2023

Changes to the weekly updates

Current status of the coronavirus thermometer

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 10 (6 – 12 March 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load increased compared to the week before (+2%). In the first three days of week 11 (13 – 15 March 2023), the average viral load decreased by 39%. The variant detected most frequently in sewage was recombinant XBB.1.5. In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 decreased slightly compared to the week before that (from 4.7% to 4.3%). The number of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 also decreased slightly (from 2.0% to 1.7%) compared to the week before that. The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased slightly (-8%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased. There were 35 ICU admissions last week, compared to 60 ICU admissions the week before.

Virus variants

In week 10, as in previous weeks, the XBB.1.5 variant was observed most frequently in sewage. An increase was also observed in XBB.1.9. Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5 and XXB.1.9) is responsible for the highest number of infections. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

	Last week (first half of the week	Two weeks ago (first and second half of the week)
Sewage surveillance	Week 11 (13 to 15 March)	Week 10 (6 to 12 March)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	1332	2167
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	287/311²	305/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	16,637,979	17,296,804
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 11⁵	Week 10⁶
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁷	4.3%	4.7%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁸	1.7%	2.0%

Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 11⁵	Week 10⁶
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁹	689 598	750 659
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁹	35 26	60 46

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 20 March 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 2 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 3 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

⁵As published 21 March 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁶As published 14 March 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁷The daily number of unique survey participants reporting possible COVID-19 symptoms who filled out a survey questionnaire, summed up for the entire calendar week (Monday through Sunday). This number is divided by the daily number of unique participants who filled out a survey questionnaire.

⁸The daily number of unique survey participants reporting a positive COVID-19 test, summed up for the entire calendar week (Monday through Sunday). The positive test result could come from a self-test, PCR test or rapid antigen test. These results are not from the nose and throat swabs sent in through the self-test study that started in September 2022.

⁹Not all patients admitted to hospital with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 have COVID-19 as the main reason or one of the reasons for hospital admission. The hospital and ICU admissions for which it is known that admission was due to other reasons than a SARS-CoV-2 infection (category 3 in the admission reasons) are not counted here. For an explanation of the categories of admission reasons, see the RIVM graphs page, or the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

21 March 2023 | 16:00

Vaccination figures for autumn round of COVID-19 repeat vaccination

From 19 September 2022 to 19 March 2023, more than 4.2 million repeat vaccinations against COVID-19 were administered. Vaccination coverage for the repeat vaccination among people over 60 has now reached 60.7%.

15 March 2023 | 9.30

Risk of COVID-19 hospital and ICU admission more than 50% lower among over-60s with repeat vaccination in the autumn round

In the period from 3 October 2022 to 6 March 2023, the risk of hospital admission for people aged 60 years and older who received a repeat vaccination against COVID-19 in the autumn round was 54% lower than for people over 60 who had previously received at least one COVID-19 vaccination, but had not received a repeat vaccination in the autumn round. Similarly, the risk of ICU admission was 52% lower. The number of hospital admissions increased in the past month, mainly among people aged 60 years and older.

14 March 2023 | 16:00

Vaccination figures for autumn round of COVID-19 repeat vaccination

From 19 September 2022 to 12 March 2023, more than 4.2 million repeat vaccinations against COVID-19 were administered. Vaccination coverage for the repeat vaccination among people over 60 has now reached 60.7%.

14 March 2023 | 16:45

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 14 March 2023

Changes to the weekly updates

Current status of the coronavirus thermometer

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

Spread of the virus and admissions

In week 9 (27 February – 5 March 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load increased compared to the week before (+23%). In the first three days of week 10 (6 – 8 March 2023), the average viral load stabilised (+2%). The variant detected most frequently in sewage was recombinant XBB.1.5. In the Infection Radar survey last week, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 decreased slightly compared to the week before that (from 5.3% to 4.7%). The number of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 also decreased (from 2.3% to 2.0%) compared to the week before that. The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased slightly (+7%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased slightly. There were 60 ICU admissions last week, compared to 63 ICU admissions the week before.

Virus variants

Since week 7 of 2023, pathogen surveillance has shown that XBB (including XBB.1.5 and XXB.1.9) is responsible for the highest number of infections. The latest calculations suggest that XBB variants (including XBB.1.5 and XBB.1.9) will remain dominant in the Netherlands for some time. However, it is also possible that multiple sub-variants may continue circulating simultaneously for some time. New variants or sub-variants may also emerge. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

	Last week (first half of the week	Two weeks ago (first and second half of the week)
Sewage surveillance	Week 10 (6 to 8 March)	Week 9 (27 February to 5 March)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹	2160	2119
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	275/311²	308/311³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants⁴	15,431,027	17,247,381
Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 10⁵	Week 9⁶
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with possible COVID-19 symptoms⁷	4.7%	5.3%
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who tested positive for COVID-19⁸	2.0%	2.3%

Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 10⁵	Week 11⁶
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁹	750 659	704 601
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE⁾⁹	60 46	63 55

¹Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 13 March 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 3 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

³Ideally, a total of 4 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

⁵As published 14 March 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁶As published 7 March 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁷Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 121February 2023 10:01 and 28 February 2023 10:00..

7 March 2023 | 17:00

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 7March 2023

As of 16 September 2022, the Coronavirus Dashboard provided by the national government also includes the coronavirus thermometer. The thermometer offers a visual representation of pressure on society and healthcare as a result of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The coronavirus thermometer is based on the epidemiological situation and the associated RIVM analysis.

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

Infection Radar, testing, and hospital and ICU admissions

In the Infection Radar survey,the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 last week stabilised compared to the week before that (from +5.4% to +5.3%). The percentage of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) increased slightly (from +2.1% to +2.3%) compared to the week before that. In addition, the number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 reported to the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) decreased (-17%) last week. The number of people tested by the GGD decreased significantly (-55%). The number of nursing home residents who tested positive for COVID-19 increased last week (+20%). On 21 February 2023, the reproduction number based on reported positive tests was 0.88 (0.76 – 1.01). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased (+39%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 also increased. There were 63 ICU admissions last week, compared to 40 ICU admissions the week before.

Sewage surveillance

In week 9 (20 - 26 February 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load increased compared to the week before (+53%). In the first two days of week 9 (27 February – 1 March 2023), the average viral load continued to increase (+23%). Recombinant XBB.1.5 was detected most frequently in sewage.

Virus variants from pathogen surveillance

Since early 2022, pathogen surveillance has shown that many different SARS-CoV-2 variants from the Omicron lineage are circulating in the Netherlands. Mutations are also emerging within these sub-variants. The same pattern is occurring in other countries as well.
Omicron BA.1 BA.2 and BA.5 were initially dominant in the Netherlands, followed by BQ.1 (including BQ.1.1). Since week 7 of 2023, XBB (including XBB.1.5) has been responsible for the highest number of infections. There has also been an increase in XBF, a recombinant variant which is rising in Australia, although infections are still limited for now. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.
The latest calculations suggest that XBB (including XBB.1.5) will remain dominant in the Netherlands for some time. However, it is also possible that multiple sub-variants may circulate simultaneously for extended periods. New variants or sub-variants may also emerge.


Reports of people tested for SARS-CoV-2 who had a positive test result	28 February to 7 March ¹^,2	21 February to 28 February ^3,4
Number of newly reported positive tests (by date as published by RIVM)	3,825 (18 per 100,000 inhabitants)	4,583 (23 per 100,000 inhabitants)
Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 9¹	Week 8²
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	704 601	506 442
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	63 55	40 35

Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 9¹	Week 8²
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with symptoms that could indicate COVID-19⁶ The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who had a positive test result⁷	5.3% 2.3%	5.4% 2.1%
SARS-CoV-2 tests by the GGD per calendar week	week 9⁸	week 8⁸
Total number of tests of which results are known Number of positive tests Percentage of positive tests	1,456 890 61.1%	3,257 2,078 63.8%
	Latest calculation	One week before
Reproduction numbers⁹	On 21 February 2023	On 14 February 2023
Based on reported positive tests	0,88 (0,76 – 1,01)	1,07 (0,91 – 1,24)
Based on hospital admissions (Source: NICE)¹⁰	1,03 (0,83 – 1,26)	1,07 (0,83 – 1,33)
Based on ICU admissions (Source: NICE)¹⁰	1,10 (0,34 – 2,11)	1,18 (0,00 – 2,71)
	Last week (first half of the week)	Two weeks ago (first and second half of the week)
Sewage surveillance	Week 9 (27 February to 1 March 2023)	Week 8 (20 to 26 February)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹¹	2110	1717
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	272/311¹²	309/311¹³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants¹⁴	9,184,665	12.277.440

¹ As published 7 March 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

² Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 28 February 2023 10:01 and 27 March 2023 10:00.

³As published 28 February 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁴Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 121February 2023 10:01 and 28 February 2023 10:00.

⁵Not all patients admitted to hospital with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 have COVID-19 as the main reason or one of the reasons for hospital admission. The hospital and ICU admissions for which it is known that admission was due to other reasons than a SARS-CoV-2 infection (category 3 in the admission reasons) are not counted here. For an explanation of the categories of admission reasons, see the RIVM graphs page, or the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁶ The number of unique survey participants reporting symptoms that could indicate COVID-19 per day who filled out a survey questionnaire, summed up for the entire calendar week (Monday through Sunday). This number is divided by the number of unique participants per day who filled out a survey questionnaire.

⁷The number of unique survey participants reporting a positive COVID-19 test per day, summed up for the entire calendar week (Monday through Sunday). The positive test result could come from a self-test, a PCR test or a rapid antigen test. These results are not from the nose and throat swabs sent in through the self-test study that started in September 2022.

⁸As published 287 March 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands. The figures from the past week and current week may be updated to include any test results provided later. These figures only include tests of people who were tested in the GGD test lanes and does not include any tests that are required in order to travel.

⁹ More information about the reproduction number.

¹⁰ The reproduction numbers (R) based on NICE data are calculated using hospital and ICU admissions due to COVID-19. These calculations do not include admissions registered by NICE after 25 January 2022 for any reason other than COVID-19.

¹¹ Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 6 March 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

¹²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 3 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

¹³Ideally, a total of 4 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

¹⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

7 March 2023 | 16:00

Vaccination figures for autumn round of COVID-19 repeat vaccination

From 19 September 2022 to 5 March 2023, more than 4.2 million repeat vaccinations against COVID-19 were administered. Vaccination coverage for the repeat vaccination among people over 60 has now reached 60.7%.

7 March 2023 | 15:45

COVID-19 less severe due to Omicron variants, vaccinations and previous infections

The consequences of infections involving the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 are decreasing. This is because nearly everyone in the Netherlands has built up immunity to COVID-19 as a result of vaccination and/or previous infection, and because the current Omicron variants are less likely to cause serious illness. These insights have become apparent over time by connecting data from different sources, such as the National Sewage Surveillance, the National Intensive Care Foundation (NICE) and pathogen surveillance in the Netherlands.

Read the news: COVID-19 less severe due to Omicron variants, vaccinations and previous infections

28 February 2023 | 17:15

Advisory report of the 146th OMT COVID-19

The Outbreak Management Team for the outbreak of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 convened on Friday 10 February 2023. The OMT COVID-19 consultation included discussions on:

the current epidemiological situation;
the impact of measures (including discontinuation)

The guidance letter and attached documents are available for download from the website of the national government.

28 February 2023 | 17:15

Second advisory report of the OMT-V

The Outbreak Management Team on Vaccination (OMT-V) in the context of the outbreak of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 convened on Friday 17 February 2023. The OMT-V consultation included discussions on a new round of COVID-19 vaccinations for the general population of the Netherlands or for specific groups. The Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) sent the advisory report to the House of Representatives. The guidance letter and attached documents are available for download from the website of the national government.

28 February 2023 | 16:00

Vaccination figures for autumn round of COVID-19 repeat vaccination

From 19 September 2022 to 26 February 2023, more than 4.2 million repeat vaccinations against COVID-19 were administered. Vaccination coverage for the repeat vaccination among people over 60 has now reached 60.7%.

28 February 2023 | 15:10

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 28 February 2023

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

Infection Radar, testing, and hospital and ICU admissions

In the Infection Radar survey, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 last week increased slightly compared to the week before that (from +4.9% to +5.4%). The percentage of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) also increased slightly (from +1.5% to +2.1%) compared to the week before that. In addition, the number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 reported to the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) increased (+20%) last week. The number of people tested by the GGD also increased slightly (+2%). The number of nursing home residents who tested positive for COVID-19 increased last week (+18%). On 14 February 2023, the reproduction number based on reported positive tests was 1.07 (0.91 – 1.24). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased (+39%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 also increased. There were 40 ICU admissions last week, compared to 26 ICU admissions the week before.

Sewage surveillance

In week 7 (16 – 22 February 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load increased compared to the week before (+37%). In the first two days of week 8 (20–22 February 2023), the average viral load continued to increase (+34%). Recombinant XBB was increasingly detected in sewage.

Virus variants from pathogen surveillance

Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 were initially dominant in the Netherlands, followed by BA.5; since week 48 of 2022, BQ.1 (including BQ.1.1) was responsible for the highest number of infections. By now, BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are showing a downward trend. We are seeing an increase in recombinant XBB (including XBB.1.5, which had been rising sharply in the USA in recent months). There has also been an increase in XBF, a recombinant variant which is rising in Australia, although infections are still limited for now. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

The latest calculations suggest that XBB (including XBB.1.5) will become dominant in the Netherlands within the very near future. However, it is also possible that multiple sub-variants may circulate simultaneously for some time. New variants or sub-variants may also emerge.

RIVM arrives at these estimates (trend forecasts) based on modelling. These estimates always have some margin of uncertainty.


Reports of people tested for SARS-CoV-2 who had a positive test result	21 February 2023 to 28 February 2023¹^,2	14 February 2023 to 21 February 2023^3,4
Number of newly reported positive tests (by date as published by RIVM)	4,583 (23 per 100,000 inhabitants)	3,805 (20 per 100,000 inhabitants)
Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 8¹	Week 7²
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	506 442	363 316
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	40 35	26 20

Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 8¹	Week 7²
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with symptoms that could indicate COVID-19⁶ The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who had a positive test result⁷	5.4% 2.1%	4.9% 1.5%
SARS-CoV-2 tests by the GGD per calendar week	week 8⁸	week 7⁸
Total number of tests of which results are known Number of positive tests Percentage of positive tests	3,257 2,078 63,8%	3,188 1,889 59.3%
	Latest calculation	One week before
Reproduction numbers⁹	On 14 February 2023	On 7 February 2023
Based on reported positive tests	1,07 (0,91 – 1,24)	1,11 (0,91 – 1,32)
Based on hospital admissions (Source: NICE)¹⁰	1,07 (0,83 – 1,33)	1,07 (0,79 – 1,39)
Based on ICU admissions (Source: NICE)¹⁰	1,18 (0,00 – 2,71)	1,11 (0,00 – 2,71)
	Last week (first half of the week)	Two weeks ago (first and second half of the week)
Sewage surveillance	Week 8 (20 to 22 February 2023)	Week 7 (13 to 19 February)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹¹	1417	1056
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	155/311¹²	304/311¹³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants¹⁴	9,184,665	17,367,417

¹ As published 28 February 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

² Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 21 February 2023 10:01 and 28 February 2023 10:00.

³As published 21 February 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁴Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 14 February 2023 10:01 and 21 February 2023 10:00.

⁵Not all patients admitted to hospital with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 have COVID-19 as the main reason or one of the reasons for hospital admission. The hospital and ICU admissions for which it is known that admission was due to other reasons than a SARS-CoV-2 infection (category 3 in the admission reasons) are not counted here. For an explanation of the categories of admission reasons, see the RIVM graphs page, or the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁸As published 28 February 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands. The figures from the past week and current week may be updated to include any test results provided later. These figures only include tests of people who were tested in the GGD test lanes and does not include any tests that are required in order to travel.

⁹ More information about the reproduction number.

¹¹ Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 27 February 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

¹²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 3 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

¹³Ideally, a total of 4 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

¹⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

21 February 2023 | 16:30

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 21 February 2023

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

Infection Radar, testing, and hospital and ICU admissions

In the Infection Radar survey, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 last week increased slightly compared to the week before that (from +4.6% to +4.9%). The percentage of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) also increased (from +1.0% to +1.5%) compared to the week before that. In addition, the number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 reported to the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) increased (+31%) last week, and the number of people tested by the GGD also increased (+29%). The number of nursing home residents who tested positive for COVID-19 increased last week (+45%). On 7 February 2023, the reproduction number based on reported positive tests was 1.11 (0.91 – 1.32). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased (+26%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 also increased, although numbers are still low. There were 26 ICU admissions last week, compared to 21 ICU admissions the week before.

Sewage surveillance

In week 6 (6 – 12 February 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load increased somewhat (+8%) compared to the week before. In the first two days of week 7 (13–14 February 2023), the average viral load continued to increase (+13%). Recombinant XBB (a variant that combines properties of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants) was increasingly detected in sewage.

Virus variants from pathogen surveillance

Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 were initially dominant in the Netherlands, followed by BA.5; since week 48 of 2022, BQ.1 (including BQ.1.1) was responsible for the highest number of infections. We are seeing an increase in BA.2.75 (including sub-variant CH.1.1, which is on the rise in many European countries) and recombinant XBB (a variant that combines characteristics of various Omicron sub-variants). The sub-variant that has been rising sharply in the USA, known as XBB.1.5, is also increasing in the Netherlands. The same applies to XBF, a recombinant variant which is rising in Australia, although infections are still limited for now. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

The latest calculations suggest that XBB (including XBB.1.5) may become dominant in the Netherlands within the very near future. However, BA.2.75 (including CH.1.1) and XBF are also increasing, so it is possible that multiple sub-variants may circulate simultaneously for some time. New variants or sub-variants may also emerge.

Declining numbers of test samples are available for sequencing in the context of pathogen surveillance. As a result, the margin of uncertainty is greater.


Reports of people tested for SARS-CoV-2 who had a positive test result	14 February 2023 to 21 February 2023¹^,2	7 February 2023 to 14 February 2023^3,4
Number of newly reported positive tests (by date as published by RIVM)	3,805 (20 per 100,000 inhabitants)	2,904 (15 per 100,000 inhabitants)
Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 7¹	Week 6²
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	363 316	289 243
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	26 20	21 18

Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 7¹	Week 6²
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with symptoms that could indicate COVID-19⁶ The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who had a positive test result⁷	4.9% 1.5%	4.6% 1.0%
SARS-CoV-2 tests by the GGD per calendar week	week 7⁸	week 6⁸
Total number of tests of which results are known Number of positive tests Percentage of positive tests	3,188 1,889 59,3%	2,466 1,350 54.7%
	Latest calculation	One week before
Reproduction numbers⁹	On 7 February 2023	On 31 January 2023
Based on reported positive tests	1,11 (0,91 – 1,32)	1,06 (0,85 – 1,29)
Based on hospital admissions (Source: NICE)¹⁰	1,07 (0,79 – 1,39)	1,01 (0,70 – 1,36)
Based on ICU admissions (Source: NICE)¹⁰	1,11 (0,00 – 2,71)	1,06 (0,00 – 2,71)
	Last week (first half of the week)	Two weeks ago (first and second half of the week)
Sewage surveillance	Week 7 (13 to 14 February 2023)	Week 6 (6 to 12 February)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹¹	841	745
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	100/311¹²	307/311¹³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants¹⁴	4,902,991	17,415,263

¹ As published 21 February 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

² Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 14 February 2023 10:01 and 21 February 2023 10:00.

³As published 14 February 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁴Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 7 February 2023 10:01 and 14 February 2023 10:00.

⁵Not all patients admitted to hospital with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 have COVID-19 as the main reason or one of the reasons for hospital admission. The hospital and ICU admissions for which it is known that admission was due to other reasons than a SARS-CoV-2 infection (category 3 in the admission reasons) are not counted here. For an explanation of the categories of admission reasons, see the RIVM graphs page, or the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁸As published 21 February 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands. The figures from the past week and current week may be updated to include any test results provided later. These figures only include tests of people who were tested in the GGD test lanes and does not include any tests that are required in order to travel.

⁹ More information about the reproduction number.

¹¹ Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 20 February 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

¹²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 3 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

¹³Ideally, a total of 4 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

¹⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

21 February 2023 | 16:00

Vaccination figures for autumn round of COVID-19 repeat vaccination

From 19 September 2022 to 19 February 2023, nearly 4.2 million repeat vaccinations against COVID-19 were administered. Vaccination coverage for the repeat vaccination among people over 60 has now reached 60.6%.

The repeat vaccination is available to everyone aged 12 years and older who has completed the basic series of COVID-19 vaccinations. People can get the repeat vaccination starting from 3 months after their last COVID-19 vaccination or 3 months after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. You can make an appointment via planjeprik.nl. Walk-in vaccinations are still possible at many locations. For more information, see www.prikkenzonderafspraak.nl.

Table 1. Vaccination coverage for repeat vaccination against COVID-19 in the autumn round, completed basic series, week 38 (2022) to week 7 (2023). ^1-2

14 February 2023 | 15:00

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 14 February 2023

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

Infection Radar, testing, and hospital and ICU admissions

In the Infection Radar survey, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 last week increased compared to the week before that (from +3.8% to +4.6%). The percentage of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 increased (from +0.6% to +1.0%) compared to the week before that. In addition, the number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 reported to the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) increased (+15%) last week, and the number of people tested by the GGD also increased somewhat (+11%). The number of nursing home residents who tested positive for COVID-19 increased last week (+19%). On 31 January 2023, the reproduction number based on reported positive tests was 1.06 (0.85 – 1.29). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased (+22%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 also increased, although numbers are still low. There were 21 ICU admissions last week, compared to 15 ICU admissions the week before.

Sewage surveillance

In week 5 (30 January – 5 February 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load increased (+51%) compared to the week before. In the first two days of week 6 (6–7 February 2023), the average viral load decreased slightly (-5%). The Omicron variant BA.2.75 and its sub-variants were increasingly detected in sewage, as was recombinant XBB (a variant that combines properties of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants). BQ.1 was also still found, alongside other sub-variants and recombinants.

Virus variants from pathogen surveillance

Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 were initially dominant in the Netherlands, followed by BA.5; since week 48 of 2022, BQ.1 (including BQ.1.1) has been responsible for the highest number of infections. A downward trend is now emerging in infections involving BQ.1 (and BQ.1.1). We are seeing an increase in BA.2.75 (including sub-variant CH.1.1, which is on the rise in many European countries) and recombinant XBB (a variant that combines characteristics of various Omicron sub-variants). The sub-variant that has been rising sharply in the USA, known as XBB.1.5, is also increasing in the Netherlands. The same applies to XBF, a recombinant variant which is rising in Australia, although infections are still limited for now. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

The latest calculations suggest that XBB (including XBB.1.5) may become dominant in the Netherlands within the near future. However, BA.2.75 (including CH.1.1) and XBF are also increasing, so it is possible that multiple sub-variants may circulate simultaneously for some time. New variants or sub-variants may also emerge.

Declining numbers of test samples are available for sequencing in the context of pathogen surveillance. As a result, the margin of uncertainty is greater.


Reports of people tested for SARS-CoV-2 who had a positive test result	7 February 2023 to 14 February 2023¹^,2	31 January 2023 to 7 February 2023^3,4
Number of newly reported positive tests (by date as published by RIVM)	2,904 (15 per 100,000 inhabitants)	2,529 (13 per 100,000 inhabitants)
Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 6¹	Week 5²
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	289 243	237 209
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	21 18	15 12

Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 6¹	Week 5²
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with symptoms that could indicate COVID-19⁶ The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who had a positive test result⁷	4.6% 1.0%	3.8% 0.6%
SARS-CoV-2 tests by the GGD per calendar week	week 6⁸	week 65
Total number of tests of which results are known Number of positive tests Percentage of positive tests	2,466 1,350 54,7%	2,216 1,189 53.7%
	Latest calculation	One week before
Reproduction numbers⁹	On 31 January 2023	On 24 January 2023
Based on reported positive tests	1,06 (0,85 – 1,29)	1,10 (0,86 – 1,37)
Based on hospital admissions (Source: NICE)¹⁰	1,01 (0,70 – 1,36)	1,01 (0,67 – 1,40)
Based on ICU admissions (Source: NICE)¹⁰	1,06 (0,00 – 2,71)	1,16 (0,00 – 3,62)
	Last week (first half of the week)	Two weeks ago (first and second half of the week)
Sewage surveillance	Week 6 (6 to 7 February 2023)	Week 5 (30 January to 5 February 2023)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹¹	647	684
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	159/311¹²	309/311¹³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants¹⁴	8,709,417	17,369,220

¹ As published 14 February 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

² Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 7 February 2023 10:01 and 14 February 2023 10:00.

³As published 7 February 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁴Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 31 January 2023 10:01 and 7 February 2023 10:00.

⁵Not all patients admitted to hospital with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 have COVID-19 as the main reason or one of the reasons for hospital admission. The hospital and ICU admissions for which it is known that admission was due to other reasons than a SARS-CoV-2 infection (category 3 in the admission reasons) are not counted here. For an explanation of the categories of admission reasons, see the RIVM graphs page, or the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁸As published 14 February 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands. The figures from the past week and current week may be updated to include any test results provided later. These figures only include tests of people who were tested in the GGD test lanes and does not include any tests that are required in order to travel.

⁹ For more information about the reproduction number, click here.

¹⁰ The reproduction numbers (R) based on NICE data are calculated using hospital and ICU admissions due to COVID-19. These calculations do not include admissions registered by NICE after 25 January 2022 for any reason other than COVID-19.

¹¹ Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 13 February 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

¹²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 3 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

¹³Ideally, a total of 4 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

¹⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

7 February 2023 | 18:00

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 7 February 2023

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

Infection Radar, testing, and hospital and ICU admissions

In the Infection Radar survey, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 last week increased slightly compared to the week before that (from +3.3% to +3.8%). The percentage of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 remained the same (staying at +0.6%) compared to the week before that. In addition, the number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 reported to the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) increased (+30%) last week, and the number of people tested by the GGD also increased (+35%). The number of nursing home residents who tested positive for COVID-19 increased last week (+30%). On 24 January 2023, the reproduction number based on reported positive tests was 1.10 (0.86 – 1.37). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased slightly (+10%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased. There were 15 ICU admissions last week, compared to 20 ICU admissions the week before.

Sewage surveillance

In week 4 (23 - 29 January 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load increased slightly (+2.9%) compared to the week before. In the first half of week 5 (30 January – 1 February 2023), the average viral load remained similar (-0.4%). The Omicron variant BA.2.75 and its sub-variants were increasingly detected in sewage. BQ.1 was also still found frequently, as well as other BA.5 sub-variants and recombinants (variants that combine properties of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants).

Virus variants from pathogen surveillance


Reports of people tested for SARS-CoV-2 who had a positive test result	31 January 2023 to 7 February 2023¹^,2	24 January to 31 January 2023^3,4
Number of newly reported positive tests (by date as published by RIVM)	2,529 (13 per 100,000 inhabitants)	1,939 (10 per 100,000 inhabitants)
Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 5¹	Week 4²
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	237 209	216 172
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	15 12	20 14

Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 5¹	Week 4²
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with symptoms that could indicate COVID-19⁶ The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who had a positive test result⁷	3.8% 0.6%	3.3% 0.6%
SARS-CoV-2 tests by the GGD per calendar week	week 5⁸	week 4⁸
Total number of tests of which results are known Number of positive tests Percentage of positive tests	2,216 1,189 53.7%	1,640 800 48.8%
	Latest calculation	One week before
Reproduction numbers⁹	On 24 January 2023	On 17 January 2023
Based on reported positive tests	1.10 (0.86 – 1.37)	0.96 (0.74 – 1.21)
Based on hospital admissions (Source: NICE)¹⁰	1.01 (0.67 – 1.40)	0.91 (0.58 – 1.28)
Based on ICU admissions (Source: NICE)¹⁰	1.16 (0.00 – 3.62)	1.04 (0.00 – 2.71)
	Last week (first half of the week)	Two weeks ago (first and second half of the week)
Sewage surveillance	Week 5 (30 January to 1 February 2023)	Week 4 (23 to 29 January 2023)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹¹	450	452
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	153/311¹²	309/311¹³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants¹⁴	8,992,340	17,475,454

¹ As published 7 February 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

² Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 31 January 2023 10:01 and 7 February 2023 10:00.

³As published 31 January 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁴Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 24 January 2023 10:01 and 31 January 2023 10:00.

⁵Not all patients admitted to hospital with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 have COVID-19 as the main reason or one of the reasons for hospital admission. The hospital and ICU admissions for which it is known that admission was due to other reasons than a SARS-CoV-2 infection (category 3 in the admission reasons) are not counted here. For an explanation of the categories of admission reasons, see the RIVM graphs page, or the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁸As published 7 February 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands. The figures from the past week and current week may be updated to include any test results provided later. These figures only include tests of people who were tested in the GGD test lanes and does not include any tests that are required in order to travel.

⁹ For more information about the reproduction number, click here.

¹⁰ The reproduction numbers (R) based on NICE data are calculated using hospital and ICU admissions due to COVID-19. These calculations do not include admissions registered by NICE after 25 January 2022 for any reason other than COVID-19.

¹¹ Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 6 February 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

¹²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 3 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

¹³Ideally, a total of 4 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

¹⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

7 February 2023 | 16:00

Vaccination figures for autumn round of COVID-19 repeat vaccination

From 19 September 2022 to 5 February 2023, nearly 4.1 million repeat vaccinations against COVID-19 were administered. Vaccination coverage for the repeat vaccination among people over 60 has now reached 60.5%.

31 January 2023 | 16:00

Vaccination figures for autumn round of COVID-19 repeat vaccination

From 19 September 2022 to 29 January 2023, more than 4.1 million repeat vaccinations against COVID-19 were administered. Vaccination coverage for the repeat vaccination among people over 60 has now reached 60.4%.

31 January 2023 | 15:00

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 31 January 2023

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

Infection Radar, testing, and hospital and ICU admissions

In the Infection Radar survey, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 last week increased slightly compared to the week before that (from +3.0% to +3.3%). The percentage of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 remained the same (staying at +0.6%) compared to the week before that. In addition, the number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 reported to the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) increased slightly (+11%) last week, and the number of people tested by the GGD also increased slightly (+8%). The number of nursing home residents who tested positive for COVID-19 increased last week (+16%). On 17 January 2023, the reproduction number based on reported positive tests was 0.96 (0.74 – 1.21). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased (-18%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased slightly. There were 20 ICU admissions last week, compared to 19 ICU admissions the week before.

Sewage surveillance

In week 3 (16 - 22 January 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load decreased by 37% compared to the week before. In the first half of week 4 (23 – 24 January 2023), the average viral load continued to decrease somewhat, dropping by 6.8%. The Omicron sub-variant BQ.1 was detected most frequently in sewage. More recombinants (variants that combine properties of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants) and Omicron BA.2 sub-variants were also detected, including a strong increase in BA.2.75 and its sub-variants.

Virus variants from pathogen surveillance

Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 were initially dominant in the Netherlands, followed by BA.5; since week 48 of 2022, BQ.1 (including BQ.1.1) has been responsible for the highest number of infections. A downward trend is now emerging in infections involving BQ.1 (and BQ.1.1). We are seeing an increase in BA.2.75 (including sub-variant CH.1.1, which is on the rise in many European countries) and recombinant XBB (a variant that combines characteristics of various Omicron sub-variants). The sub-variant that has been rising sharply in the USA, known as XBB.1.5, is also increasing in the Netherlands. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

The latest calculations suggest that BQ.1 may remain dominant in the Netherlands for several more weeks. The percentages of sub-variants BA.2.75 and XBB (including XBB.1.5) are also increasing, so it is possible that multiple sub-variants may circulate simultaneously for some time. New variants or sub-variants may also emerge.


Reports of people tested for SARS-CoV-2 who had a positive test result	24 January 2023 to 31 January 2023¹^,2	17 January to 24 January 2023^3,4
Number of newly reported positive tests (by date as published by RIVM)	1,939 (10 per 100,000 inhabitants)	1,749 (9 per 100,000 inhabitants)
Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 4¹	Week 3²
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	216 172	262 213
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	20 14	19 14

Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 4¹	Week 3²
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with symptoms that could indicate COVID-19⁶ The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who had a positive test result⁷	3.3% 0.6%	3.0% 0.6%
SARS-CoV-2 tests by the GGD per calendar week	week 4⁸	week 3⁸
Total number of tests of which results are known Number of positive tests Percentage of positive tests	1,640 800 48.8%	1,515 676 44.6%
	Latest calculation	One week before
Reproduction numbers⁹	On 17 January 2023	On 10 January 2023
Based on reported positive tests	0.96 (0.74 – 1.21)	0.83 (0.64 – 1.03)
Based on hospital admissions (Source: NICE)¹⁰	0.91 (0.58 – 1.28)	0.82 (0.55 – 1.12)
Based on ICU admissions (Source: NICE)¹⁰	1.04 (0.00 – 2.71)	0.78 (0.00 – 2.71)
	Last week (first half of the week)	Two weeks ago (first and second half of the week)
Sewage surveillance	Week 4 (23 t/m 24 January 2023)	Week 3 (16 to 22 January 2023)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹¹	408	438
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	182/311¹²	308/311¹³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants¹⁴	8,599,678	17,283,642

¹ As published 31 January 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

² Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 24 January 2023 10:01 and 31 January 2023 10:00.

³As published 24 January 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁴Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 17 January 2023 10:01 and 24 January 2023 10:00.

⁵Not all patients admitted to hospital with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 have COVID-19 as the main reason or one of the reasons for hospital admission. The hospital and ICU admissions for which it is known that admission was due to other reasons than a SARS-CoV-2 infection (category 3 in the admission reasons) are not counted here. For an explanation of the categories of admission reasons, see the RIVM graphs page, or the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁸As published31 January 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands. The figures from the past week and current week may be updated to include any test results provided later. These figures only include tests of people who were tested in the GGD test lanes and does not include any tests that are required in order to travel.

⁹ For more information about the reproduction number, click here.

¹⁰ The reproduction numbers (R) based on NICE data are calculated using hospital and ICU admissions due to COVID-19. These calculations do not include admissions registered by NICE after 25 January 2022 for any reason other than COVID-19.

¹¹ Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 30 January 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

¹²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 3 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

¹³Ideally, a total of 4 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

¹⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

24 January 2023 | 16:00

Vaccination figures for autumn round of COVID-19 repeat vaccination

From 19 September 2022 to 22 January 2023, more than 4.1 million repeat vaccinations against COVID-19 were administered. Vaccination coverage for the repeat vaccination among people over 60 has now reached 60.2%.

24 January 2023 | 16:15

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 24 January 2023

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

Infection Radar, testing, and hospital and ICU admissions

In the Infection Radar survey, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 last week decreased (from +3.4% to +3.0%) compared to the week before that. The number of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 also decreased (from +0.8% to +0.6%) compared to the week before that. In addition, the number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 reported to the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) decreased (-25%) last week, and the number of people tested by the GGD also decreased (-36%). The number of nursing home residents who tested positive for COVID-19 decreased (-35%) last week. On 10 January 2023, the reproduction number based on reported positive tests was 0.83 (0.64 – 1.03). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased (-25%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 also decreased. There were 19 ICU admissions last week, compared to 29 ICU admissions the week before.

Sewage surveillance

In week 2 (9 - 15 January 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load decreased by 33% compared to the week before. In the first half of week 3 (16 – 18 January 2023), the average viral load continued to decrease, dropping by 34%. The Omicron sub-variant BQ.1 was detected most frequently in sewage. More recombinants (variants that combine properties of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants) and Omicron BA.2 sub-variants were also detected, including BA.2.75 and its sub-variants.

Virus variants from pathogen surveillance

Since early 2022, pathogen surveillance has shown that most of the variants of SARS-CoV-2 circulating in the Netherlands are in the Omicron lineage: sub-variants BA.1 through BA.5. Mutations are also emerging within these sub-variants. The same pattern is occurring in other countries as well.

Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 were initially dominant in the Netherlands, followed by BA.5; since week 48 of 2022, BQ.1 (including BQ.1.1) has been responsible for the highest number of infections. A downward trend is now emerging in infections involving BQ.1 (and BQ.1.1). We are seeing an increase in BA.2.75 and recombinant XBB (a variant that combines properties of various Omicron sub-variants). The sub-variant that has been rising sharply in the USA, known as XBB.1.5, is also increasing in the Netherlands. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

The latest calculations suggest that BQ.1 may remain dominant in the Netherlands for several more weeks. The percentages of sub-variants BA.2.75 and XBB (including XBB.1.5) are also increasing, so it is possible that multiple sub-variants may continue circulating simultaneously for some time. New variants or sub-variants may also emerge.


Reports of people tested for SARS-CoV-2 who had a positive test result	17 January 2023 to 24 January 2023¹^,2	10 January to 17 January 2023^3,4
Number of newly reported positive tests (by date as published by RIVM)	1,749 (9 per 100,000 inhabitants)	2,336 (11 per 100,000 inhabitants)
Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 3¹	Week 2²
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	262 213	348 301
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	19 14	29 22

Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 3¹	Week 2²
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with symptoms that could indicate COVID-19⁶ The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who had a positive test result⁷	3.0% 0.6%	3.4% 0.8%
SARS-CoV-2 tests by the GGD per calendar week	week 3⁸	week 2⁸
Total number of tests of which results are known Number of positive tests Percentage of positive tests	1,515 676 44.6%	2,357 1,095 46.5%
	Latest calculation	One week before
Reproduction numbers⁹	On 10 January 2023	On 3 January 2023
Based on reported positive tests	0,83 (0,64 – 1,03)	0,73 (0,60 – 0,87)
Based on hospital admissions (Source: NICE)¹⁰	0,82 (0,55 – 1,12)	0,83 (0,61 – 1,07)
Based on ICU admissions (Source: NICE)¹⁰	0,78 (0,00 – 2,71)	0,85 (0,00 – 1,99)
	Last week (first half of the week)	Two weeks ago (first and second half of the week)
Sewage surveillance	Week 3 (16 t/m 18 January 2023)	Week 2 (9 to 15 January 2023)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹¹	462	699
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	227/311¹²	306/311¹³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants¹⁴	11,164,882	17,077,144

¹ As published 24 January 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

² Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 17 January 2023 10:01 and 24 January 2023 10:00.

³As published 17 January 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁴Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 10 January 2023 10:01 and 17 January 2023 10:00.

⁵Not all patients admitted to hospital with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 have COVID-19 as the main reason or one of the reasons for hospital admission. The hospital and ICU admissions for which it is known that admission was due to other reasons than a SARS-CoV-2 infection (category 3 in the admission reasons) are not counted here. For an explanation of the categories of admission reasons, see the RIVM graphs page, or the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁸As published24 January 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands. The figures from the past week and current week may be updated to include any test results provided later. These figures only include tests of people who were tested in the GGD test lanes and does not include any tests that are required in order to travel.

⁹ For more information about the reproduction number, click here.

¹⁰ The reproduction numbers (R) based on NICE data are calculated using hospital and ICU admissions due to COVID-19. These calculations do not include admissions registered by NICE after 25 January 2022 for any reason other than COVID-19.

¹¹ Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 23 January 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

¹²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 3 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

¹³Ideally, a total of 4 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

¹⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

24 January 2023 | 11:00

COVID-19 vaccination for 5-11 years only for children in medical high-risk groups

It is no longer necessary to offer COVID-19 vaccination to all children aged 5-11 years. This advisory opinion of the Health Council was adopted by Minister Kuipers of Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) (only in Dutch) on 19 January 2023. Accordingly, as of 23 February 2023, invitations for COVID-19 vaccination will only be sent to children in this age group who have an elevated risk of severe illness due to COVID-19.

17 January 2023 | 16:00

58% lower risk of COVID-19 hospitalisation among over-60s who had the autumn vaccination

In the period from 3 October 2022 to 9 January 2023, the risk of hospital admission for people aged 60 years and older who received a repeat vaccination against COVID-19 in the autumn round was 58% lower than for people who had previously received at least one COVID-19 vaccination, but had not received a repeat vaccination in the autumn round. The risk of ICU admission for over-60s who received the repeat vaccination in the autumn round was 59% lower. This means that the risk of hospital and ICU admission for people over 60 who received the repeat vaccination in autumn 2022 was nearly 2.5 times lower.

17 January 2023 | 16:00

Vaccination figures for autumn round of COVID-19 repeat vaccination

From 19 September 2022 to 15 January 2023, more than 4.1 million repeat vaccinations against COVID-19 were administered. Vaccination coverage for the repeat vaccination among people over 60 has now reached 59.9%. The number of repeat vaccinations administered in the second calendar week of 2023 was slightly lower than in the first week, but still higher than in the last two weeks of 2022.

The repeat vaccination is available to everyone aged 12 years and older who has completed the basic series of COVID-19 vaccinations. People can get the repeat vaccination starting from 3 months after their last COVID-19 vaccination or 3 months after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. You can make an appointment via planjeprik.nl. Walk-in vaccinations are also possible at more and more locations. For more information, see www.prikkenzonderafspraak.nl.

Table 1. Vaccination coverage for repeat vaccination against COVID-19 in the autumn round, completed basic series, week 38 (2022) to week 2 (2023). ^1-2

Age group	Birth year	Vaccination coverage for repeat vaccination in autumn round, in relation to population of the Netherlands	Vaccination coverage for repeat vaccination in autumn round, in relation to completed basic series
12 years and older	2010 and before	26.3%	32.8%
18 years and older	2004 and before	28.3%	34.4%
60 years and older	1962 and before	59.9%	64.2%

Source: CIMS+ method
The repeat vaccination is available to everyone aged 12 years and older who has completed the basic series of COVID-19 vaccinations. The first invitations were sent to people aged 60 years and older, people in medical risk groups, and care workers who have contact with patients or clients. People can get the repeat vaccination starting from 3 months after their last COVID-19 vaccination or 3 months after a SARS-CoV-2 infection..

17 January 2023 | 15:20

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 17 January 2023

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

Infection Radar, testing, and hospital and ICU admissions

In the Infection Radar survey, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 last week decreased compared to the week before that(from +5.5% to +3.4%). The number of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 also decreased (from +1.3% to +0.8%) compared to the week before that. In addition, the number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 reported to the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) decreased (-47%) last week, and the number of people tested by the GGD also decreased (-45%). The number of nursing home residents who tested positive for COVID-19 decreased (-48%) last week*. On 3 January 2023, the reproduction number based on reported positive tests was 0.73 (0.60 – 0.87). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased (-34%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 also decreased. There were 29 ICU admissions last week, compared to 47 ICU admissions the week before.

Sewage surveillance

In week 1 (2 - 8 January 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load decreased by 46% compared to the week before. In the first half of week 2 (9 – 11 January 2023), the average viral load continued to decrease, dropping by 31%. The BA.5 Omicron sub-variant, including its sub-variant BQ.1, was detected most frequently in sewage. More recombinants (variants that combine properties of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants) and Omicron BA.2 sub-variants were also detected, particularly BA.2.75 and its sub-variants.

Virus variants from pathogen surveillance

Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 were initially dominant in the Netherlands, followed by BA.5; since week 48, BQ.1 (including BQ.1.1) has been responsible for the highest number of infections. We are also seeing an increase in BA.2.75 and recombinant XBB (a variant that combines properties of various Omicron sub-variants). The sub-variant that has been rising sharply in the USA, known as XBB.1.5, is also increasing in the Netherlands. At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.


Reports of people tested for SARS-CoV-2 who had a positive test result	10 January 2023 to 17 January 2023¹^,2	3 January to 10 January 2023^3,4
Number of newly reported positive tests (by date as published by RIVM)	2,336 (11 per 100,000 inhabitants)	4,436 (11 per 100,000 inhabitants)
Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 2¹	Week 1²
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	348 301	527 471
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	29 22	47 37

Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 2¹	Week 1²
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with symptoms that could indicate COVID-19⁶ The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who had a positive test result⁷	3.4% 0.8%	5.5% 1.3%
Reported deaths of people who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2^**

SARS-CoV-2 tests by the GGD per calendar week	week 2⁸	week 1⁸
Total number of tests of which results are known Number of positive tests Percentage of positive tests	2,357 1,095 46.5%	4,247 2,095 49.3%
	Latest calculation	One week before
Reproduction numbers⁹	On 3 January 2023	On 27 December 2022
Based on reported positive tests	0,73 (0,60 – 0,87)	0,90 (0,78 – 1,02)
Based on hospital admissions (Source: NICE)¹⁰	0,83 (0,61 – 1,07)	0,91 (0,71 – 1,11)
Based on ICU admissions (Source: NICE)¹⁰	0,85 (0,00 – 1,99)	0,91 (0,23 – 1,81)
	Last week (first half of the week)	Two weeks ago (first and second half of the week)
Sewage surveillance	Week 2 (9 t/m 11 January 2023)	Week 1 (2 to 8 January 2023)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹¹	733	1055
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	188/311¹²	308/311¹³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants¹⁴	11,689,403	17,355,685

^* For reported figures from 1 January 2023, a patient will be considered a resident of a nursing home if, according to OSIRIS data: the patient can be linked to a known location of a nursing home, care home or private residential care centre based on their 6-digit postcode; and the patient is 70 years of age or older at the time of reporting.
^** As of 1 January 2023, RIVM will no longer compile data on deaths of COVID-19 patients, so these figures will no longer be published in the period updates from 10 January 2023 on.

¹ As published 17 January 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

² Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 10 January 2023 10:01 and 17 January 2023 10:00.

³As published 10 January 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁴Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 27 December 2022 10:01 and 23 January 2023 10:00.

⁵Not all patients admitted to hospital with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 have COVID-19 as the main reason or one of the reasons for hospital admission. The hospital and ICU admissions for which it is known that admission was due to other reasons than a SARS-CoV-2 infection (category 3 in the admission reasons) are not counted here. For an explanation of the categories of admission reasons, see the RIVM graphs page, or the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁸As published17 January 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands. The figures from the past week and current week may be updated to include any test results provided later. These figures only include tests of people who were tested in the GGD test lanes and does not include any tests that are required in order to travel.

⁹ For more information about the reproduction number, click here.

¹⁰ The reproduction numbers (R) based on NICE data are calculated using hospital and ICU admissions due to COVID-19. These calculations do not include admissions registered by NICE after 25 January 2022 for any reason other than COVID-19.

¹¹ Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 16 January 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

¹²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 3 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

¹³Ideally, a total of 4 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

¹⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

10 January 2023 | 16:25

Vaccination figures for autumn round of COVID-19 repeat vaccination

From 19 September 2022 to 8 January 2023, nearly 4.1 million repeat vaccinations against COVID-19 were administered. Vaccination coverage for the repeat vaccination among people over 60 has now reached 59.5%. The number of repeat vaccinations administered in the past calendar week was higher than in the weeks before that. Especially among age groups between 50 and 85 years, more repeat vaccinations were administered.

10 January 2023 | 16:20

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 10 January 2023

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

Infection Radar, testing, and hospital and ICU admissions

In the Infection Radar survey, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 last week decreased compared to the week before that (from +6.7% to +5.5%). The number of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 also decreased (from +1.8% to 1.3%) compared to the week before that. In addition, the number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 reported to the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) decreased (-29%) last week, and the number of people tested by the GGD also decreased (-21%). The number of nursing home residents who tested positive for COVID-19 decreased (-18%) last week^*. On 27 December 2022, the reproduction number based on reported positive tests was 0.90 (0.78 – 1.02). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 decreased (-15%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 also decreased. There were 47 ICU admissions last week, compared to 63 ICU admissions the week before.

Sewage surveillance

In week 52 (26 December 2022 – 1 January 2023), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load decreased by 14% compared to the week before. In the first half of week 1 (2 – 4 January 2023), the average viral load continued to decrease, dropping by 40%. The BA.5 Omicron sub-variant known as sub-variant BQ.1 was detected most frequently in sewage. More recombinants (variants that combine properties of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants) and Omicron BA.2 sub-variants were also detected, particularly BA.2.75 and its sub-variants.

Virus variants from pathogen surveillance

Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 were initially dominant in the Netherlands, followed by BA.5; since week 48, BQ.1 (including BQ.1.1) has been responsible for the highest number of infections. We are also seeing an increase in BA.2.75 and recombinant XBB (a variant that combines properties of various Omicron sub-variants). At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

The latest calculations suggest that BQ.1 may remain dominant in the Netherlands for some time. The percentages of sub-variants BA.2.75 and XBB (including XBB.1.5) are also increasing, so it is possible that multiple sub-variants may continue circulating simultaneously for some time. New variants or sub-variants may also emerge. The sub-variant that has been rising sharply in the USA, known as XBB.1.5, is also increasing in the Netherlands, although the case numbers are limited at this point.


Reports of people tested for SARS-CoV-2 who had a positive test result	3 January 2023 to 10 January 2023¹^,2	3 January to 10 January 2023^3,4
Number of newly reported positive tests (by date as published by RIVM)	4,436 (11 per 100,000 inhabitants)	6,245 (31 per 100,000 inhabitants)
Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 1¹	Week 52²
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	527 471	623 527
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	47 37	63 51

Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 1¹	Week 52²
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with symptoms that could indicate COVID-19⁶ The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who had a positive test result⁷	5.5% 1.3%	6.7% 1.8%
Reported deaths of people who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2^**

SARS-CoV-2 tests by the GGD per calendar week	week 1⁸	week 52⁸
Total number of tests of which results are known Number of positive tests Percentage of positive tests	4,248 2,095 49.3%	5,404 3,002 55.6%
	Latest calculation	One week before
Reproduction numbers⁹	On 27 December 2022	On 20 December 2022
Based on reported positive tests	0,90 (0,78 – 1,02)	0,86 (0,76 – 0,97)
Based on hospital admissions (Source: NICE)¹⁰	0,91 (0,71 – 1,11)	1,01 (0,80 – 1,25)
Based on ICU admissions (Source: NICE)¹⁰	0,91 (0,23 – 1,81)	1,01 (0,23 – 2,03)
	Last week (first half of the week)	Two weeks ago (first and second half of the week)
Sewage surveillance	Week 1 (2 t/m 4 January 2023)	Week 52 (26 December 2022 to 1 January 2023)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹¹	1191	1970
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	254/311¹²	304/311¹³
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants¹⁴	14,782,149	16,906,604

¹ As published 10 January 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

² Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 3 January 2023 10:01 and 10 January 2023 10:00.

³As published 3 January 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁸As published 27 December 2022 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands. The figures from the past week and current week may be updated to include any test results provided later. These figures only include tests of people who were tested in the GGD test lanes and does not include any tests that are required in order to travel.

⁹ For more information about the reproduction number, click here.

¹⁰ The reproduction numbers (R) based on NICE data are calculated using hospital and ICU admissions due to COVID-19. These calculations do not include admissions registered by NICE after 25 January 2022 for any reason other than COVID-19.

¹¹ Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 9 January 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

¹²In the first half of last week, between 1 and 3 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

¹³Ideally, a total of 4 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

¹⁴ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

03 January 2023 | 16:00

Vaccination figures for autumn round of COVID-19 repeat vaccination

From 19 September up to and including 1 January 2023, more than 4 million repeat vaccinations against COVID-19 were administered. Vaccination coverage for the repeat vaccination among people over 60 has now reached 59.0%.

The repeat vaccination is available to everyone aged 12 years and older who has completed the basic series of COVID-19 vaccinations. People can get the repeat vaccination starting from 3 months after their last COVID-19 vaccination or 3 months after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. You can make an appointment via planjeprik.nl. Walk-in vaccinations are also possible at more and more locations. For more information, see www.prikkenzonderafspraak.nl.

Table 1. Vaccination coverage for repeat vaccination against COVID-19 in the autumn round, completed basic series, week 38 (2022) to week 52 (2022). ^1-2

Age group	Birth year	Vaccination coverage for repeat vaccination in autumn round, in relation to population of the Netherlands	Vaccination coverage for repeat vaccination in autumn round, in relation to completed basic series
12 years and older	2010 and before	25.8%	32.1%
18 years and older	2004 and before	27.7%	33.7%
60 years and older	1962 and before	59.0%	63.1%

Source: CIMS+ method
The repeat vaccination is available to everyone aged 12 years and older who has completed the basic series of COVID-19 vaccinations. The first invitations were sent to people aged 60 years and older, people in medical risk groups, and care workers who have contact with patients or clients. People can get the repeat vaccination starting from 3 months after their last COVID-19 vaccination or 3 months after a SARS-CoV-2 infection..

3 January 2023 | 16:55

Weekly update on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: 3 January 2023

The RIVM Response Team advises coronavirus thermometer: status 1 – low (Limited pressure on healthcare chain and society)

Infection Radar, testing, and hospital and ICU admissions

In the Infection Radar survey, the percentage of participants who reported possible symptoms of COVID-19 last week decreased slightly compared to the week before that (from +7.3% to +6.7%). The number of Infection Radar participants who tested positive for COVID-19 increased very slightly (from +1.7% to 1.8%) compared to the week before that. In addition, the number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 reported to the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) decreased somewhat (-7%) last week, and the number of people who were tested for COVID-19 by the GGD also decreased (-32%). The number of nursing home residents who tested positive for COVID-19 decreased last week (-18%).

On 20 December 2022, the reproduction number based on reported positive tests was 0.86 (0.76 – 0.97). The number of new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 increased significantly (+59%) compared to the week before. The number of new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 also increased significantly. There were 63 ICU admissions last week, compared to 42 ICU admissions the week before.

It is likely that hospital and ICU admissions in the previous week were underestimated due to a delay in reporting during the Christmas period. As a result, the relative increase in hospital and ICU admissions between weeks 51 and 52 is probably lower.

Sewage surveillance

In week 51 (19 - 25 December 2022), sewage surveillance showed that the national average viral load increased compared to the week before (+33%). In the first half of week 52 (26 and 27 December 2022), the average viral load decreased (-21%). BQ.1 and its sub-variants were detected most frequently in sewage surveillance. More recombinants and Omicron BA.2 sub-variants were also found, particularly BA.2.75 and its sub-variants, as well as recombinants like XBB.

Virus variants from pathogen surveillance

Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 were initially dominant in the Netherlands, followed by BA.5; since week 48, BQ.1 (including BQ.1.1) has been responsible for the highest number of infections. We are also seeing an increase in BA.2.75 and recombinant XBB (a variant that combines properties of various Omicron sub-variants). At this time, there are no indications that these sub-variants would be more likely to cause severe illness compared to previous Omicron sub-variants.

The latest calculations suggest that BQ.1 may remain dominant in the Netherlands for some time. The percentages of sub-variants BA.2.75 and XBB are also increasing, so it is possible that multiple sub-variants may continue circulating simultaneously for some time. New variants or sub-variants may also emerge.


Reports of people tested for SARS-CoV-2 who had a positive test result	27 December 2022 to 3 January 2023¹^,2	20 December to 27 December 2022^3,4
Number of newly reported positive tests (by date as published by RIVM)	6,245 (31 per 100,000 inhabitants)	6,744 (35 per 100,000 inhabitants)
Hospital admissions by calendar week	Week 52¹	Week 51²
Total new hospital admissions of patients with SARS-COV-2 (including ICU admissions) New hospital admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 (including ICU admissions) not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	623 527	391 327
Total new ICU admissions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 New ICU admissions not including patients with an admission reason other than SARS-CoV-2 (Source: NICE)⁵	63 51	42 34

Infection Radar by calendar week	Week 52¹	Week 51²
The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants with symptoms that could indicate COVID-19⁶ The percentage of Infection Radar survey participants who had a positive test result⁷	6.7% 1.8%	7.3% 1.7%
Reported deaths of people who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 ⁸	27 December 2022 to 3 January 2023¹^,2	20 December to 27 December 2022^3,4
Deaths	21	18
SARS-CoV-2 tests by the GGD per calendar week	week 52⁹	week 51⁹
Total number of tests of which results are known Number of positive tests Percentage of positive tests*	5,404 3,002 55.6%	7,891 4,161 52.7%
	Latest calculation	One week before
Reproduction numbers¹⁰	On 20 December 2022	On 13 December 2022
Based on reported positive tests	0,86 (0,76 – 0,97)	1,04 (0,91 – 1,18)
Based on hospital admissions (Source: NICE)¹¹	1,01 (0,80 – 1,25)	0,88 (0,64 – 1,15)
Based on ICU admissions (Source: NICE)¹¹	1,01 (0,23 – 2,03)	1,03 (0,00 – 2,26)
	Last week (first half of the week)	Two weeks ago (first and second half of the week)
Sewage surveillance	Week 52 (26 t/m 27 December 2022)	Week 51 (19 to 25 December 2022)
Average number of virus particles (x 100 billion per 100,000 inhabitants)¹²	1810	2280
Number of sampling locations on which the average is based	192/311¹³	306/311¹⁴
Number of people connected to those sewage treatment plants¹⁵	11,643,619	17,300,532

¹ As published 3 January 2023 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

² Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 27 December 2022 10:01 and 3 January 2023 10:00.

³As published 27 December 2022 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁴Reports by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs) to RIVM between 20 December 2022 10:01 and 27 December 2022 10:00.

⁵Not all patients admitted to hospital with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 have COVID-19 as the main reason or one of the reasons for hospital admission. The hospital and ICU admissions for which it is known that admission was due to other reasons than a SARS-CoV-2 infection (category 3 in the admission reasons) are not counted here. For an explanation of the categories of admission reasons, see the RIVM graphs page, or the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands.

⁸ Not all of these reported deaths occurred within the last week. The actual number of deaths is higher than the deaths that are reported in the surveillance. This is because there is no mandatory reporting requirement for death due to COVID-19. For that reason, the mortality figures presented here are underreported.

⁹ As published 27 December 2022 in the weekly epidemiological update on SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands. The figures from the past week and current week may be updated to include any test results provided later. These figures only include tests of people who were tested in the GGD test lanes and does not include any tests that are required in order to travel.

¹⁰ For more information about the reproduction number, click here.

¹¹ The reproduction numbers (R) based on NICE data are calculated using hospital and ICU admissions due to COVID-19. These calculations do not include admissions registered by NICE after 25 January 2022 for any reason other than COVID-19.

¹² Based on data available at RIVM on Monday afternoon, 2 January 2023, as published in the open data. See the sewage surveillance updates on the Coronavirus Dashboard for the latest figures. See the explanation of the data presented for more details about how these figures are calculated.

¹³In the first half of last week, between 1 and 3 samples were taken from each sampling location and analysed. The samples were taken on the Monday, Tuesday and/or Wednesday of that week.

¹⁴Ideally, a total of 4 sewage samples from all 311 sampling locations would be taken and analysed in order to calculate the average for the previous week.

¹⁵ Number of people connected to the number of sampling locations on which the average is based.

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June 2023 More informaton

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May 2023 More informaton

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April 2023 More informaton

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