Industry and policymakers are not availing themselves enough of the available scientific knowledge when it comes to smarter ways of dealing with plastics.

1,214 patients with a SARS-CoV-2 infection were admitted to hospital in the Netherlands in the past week*, a decrease of 12% compared to the week before that.

The number of new patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 increased to 538 admissions last week. That is 266 more admissions than in the previous week.

In the past week from 14-20 July 2021, the reported number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 increased by 34% compared to the previous week.

In the past week from 7-13 July 2021, the number of reported positive tests increased more than sixfold (+508%) compared to the previous week. This increase was observed in all security regions.

This week, early indicators were added to the sewage measurements page on the Coronavirus Dashboard provided by the national government. These values help to clarify the measurements by indicating how serious the situation is.

The number of people in the Netherlands who tested positive for COVID-19, hospital admissions and ICU admissions is continuing to decrease. The downward trend is clearly positive.

RIVM is launching an extensive study today to research the long-term effectiveness of the various COVID-19 vaccines in the Netherlands.

The method developed by RIVM to assess whether waste treatment is sufficiently safe and sustainable, can contribute to the European ambitions for a safe and more circular economy.

In the week from 10 to 16 March, 39,527 people received a positive test result for COVID-19, nearly 25% more than in the week before that. The reproduction number completely above 1 this week.