Lockdowns have a negative impact on the physical and mental health of many young people. They get less exercise and experience more feelings of depression, loneliness and insecurity.

The personal protective equipment (PPE) purchased at the national level during the COVID-19 crisis for use in the healthcare sector only partly met the required standards of quality.

Last week*, 242,961 positive COVID-19 tests were reported to RIVM**. That is an increase of 21% compared to the week before that.

201,536 positive COVID-19 tests were reported to RIVM last week. That is an increase of 77% compared to the previous week. Such high numbers of reported infections within just one week have never been seen before in the Netherlands.

In the past week*, the number of reported positive COVID-19 tests increased by 35% compared to the week before that. The number of people tested by the GGD was about the same.

There were 26% fewer new hospital admissions of patients with COVID-19 last week compared to the week before. There were 25% fewer new patients with COVID-19 admitted to ICU compared to the previous week.

Dutch research results published today show that the protection offered by vaccination or previous infection is less effective in preventing infection with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 than infection with the Delta variant. 

There were 1,335 new hospital admissions of patients with COVID-19 last week, 33% less than the week before.

Infections involving the Omicron variant are still in the minority for now, but are increasing rapidly.

RIVM has calculated the impact of different ventilation rates on the number of people who become ill due to aerogenic transmission of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in indoor spaces.