In the past calendar week, there were 32% fewer hospital admissions of patients with COVID-19 compared to the week before. New arrivals in the ICU were also down by 23% compared to the previous week.* Pressure on hospitals is now also visibly dropping, but is still high. For that reason, it remains important for everyone to continue following the measures, so COVID-19 admissions and infections continue to decrease.
25,255 new people who tested positive were reported between 19 and 25 May, marking a 28% decrease. Reported figures decreased in all age groups.
Vaccination is proceeding quickly. At this point, more than 8.5 million vaccinations have been given. People born in 1969 and 1970 can now make a vaccination appointment.
*Source: NICE Foundation.
Hospital admissions
830 new COVID-19 hospital admissions were reported last week, 32% fewer than in the week before, when 1,224 people with COVID-19 were admitted to hospital. 186 new ICU admissions were reported in the past week, a 23% decrease compared to the week before, when 241 people with COVID-19 were admitted to ICU.
Testing positive for COVID-19
Fewer people (-12%) were tested in the test lanes operated by the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs). 239,259 people were tested for COVID-19 in the past calendar week, compared to 272,876 in the week before that. The percentage of people who tested positive for COVID-19 last week was 10.4%, which is lower than the previous week (12.2%).
25,255 new people who tested positive for COVID-19 were reported in the past week. That is a decrease of 28% compared to the week before that. In the past seven days, 147 people per 100,000 inhabitants received a positive test result for COVID-19. The number of positive COVID-19 tests per 100,000 inhabitants decreased in all age groups (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Newly reported infections by age group, per calendar week.
Reproduction numbers and contagious people
The reproduction number based on reported positive tests decreased compared to the previous week. The reproduction number for 10 May was 0.82 (lower limit 0.80 – upper limit 0.84), compared to 0.89 one week earlier.
The reproduction number for 10 May based on hospital admissions was 0.91 (lower limit 0.76 – upper limit 1.07) and remained unchanged. (The reproduction number on 3 May was also 0.91.) On 10 May, the reproduction number based on ICU admissions was 0.92 (lower limit 0.58 – upper limit 1.31). This is about the same as the week before that, when the R number was 0.91. Due to the smaller data set, the calculations for the reproduction numbers based on hospital and ICU admissions have a greater margin of uncertainty.
The number of contagious people – meaning people who are infected with the virus and in the phase of infection that they can transmit the virus to others – was about 114,000 on 17 May. It is estimated that there were 130,000 contagious people in the week before that.*
Back to ‘normal’? Follow the measures, even after a negative test result (or self-test) or after vaccination.
Besides vaccinations, continuing to follow the measures is the way to prevent people from becoming infected. That also applies when you are on holiday. Until vaccinations have been given to everyone who wants them, this is how we can prevent the virus from spreading faster again. Stay at least 1.5 metres from others. If you have symptoms, stay home and get tested – even if you are vaccinated. Testing is still important if you have already been vaccinated. You can still become infected and infect others. Wash your hands regularly. Did you test positive for COVID-19 on the self-test? Stay home, isolate yourself from others, have your household members start quarantining, and contact the GGD. This is how we will stop the spread of the virus.