The number of newly reported infections with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 stabilised in the past week*. The number of COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital stabilised, but ICU admissions continued to increase.

RIVM has found the Omicron variant in test samples taken in the Netherlands earlier in November. These samples were taken in the GGD test lanes on 19 and 23 November 2021.

On 26 November 2021, 624 passengers returning from South Africa were tested for the coronavirus; 61 of them tested positive for COVID-19. Initial results from genome sequencing showed the Omicron variant in 13 of the samples from the positive tests.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the outbreak of the West Nile Virus in 2020 show that so-called emerging zoonoses pose a risk to the Netherlands.

In the past week from 16 to 23 November 2021, hospital admissions of new COVID-19 patients rose by 19% compared to the week before. ICU admissions of new COVID-19 patients rose by 26%.

In the past week from 9 to 16 November 2021, the reported number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 rose by 44% compared to the week before.

The number of new patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 increased to 1.137 admissions last week from 3-9 November 2021, 18% more than the week before.

Compliance with coronavirus measures such as working from home, distancing and testing if you have symptoms decreased in the weeks leading up to the Cabinet’s recent press conference.

National immunisation coverage has increased for the first time in five years, for almost all vaccinations. For children born in 2017, vaccination coverage against mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) increased by 0.7% to 93.6%.

RIVM is preparing for implementation of the coronavirus vaccinations. As soon as there is a safe and effective vaccine against the novel coronavirus, it will be quickly and carefully deployed to vaccinate the target groups.