Photo taken on Nov. 1, 2021 shows a COVID-19 precaution notice asking people to keep 1.5-meter social distance at a shop in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. (Photo by Sylvia Lederer/Xinhua)
Although the Netherlands is currently in lockdown, the number of daily infections is still on the rise due to the Christmas holidays, and the spread of the Omicron variant.
THE HAGUE, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Positive COVID-19 tests in the Netherlands hit a new daily record of 34,954 over the past 24 hours, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) announced on Friday.
The new record is 10,282 more than the number from the previous 24 hours. Due to a technical glitch, the number from Wednesday to Thursday was lower than expected, although it was still a record high in one day since the start of the pandemic.
The average number of positive COVID-19 tests also increased. In the past seven days, an average of 21,487 positive tests was registered each day, which is 63 percent more than in the seven days before.
Photo taken on Nov. 1, 2021 shows a COVID-19 testing station in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. (Photo by Sylvia Lederer/Xinhua)
Although the Netherlands is currently in lockdown, the number of daily infections is still on the rise due to the Christmas holidays, and the spread of the Omicron variant.
However, the increase in infections is not yet reflected in hospitals. The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 decreased to 1,516 on Friday, which is 25 fewer than on Thursday. There are ten fewer COVID-19 patients in intensive care, now 409 in total.
From Thursday to Friday, 24 deaths from COVID-19 were reported to the RIVM. In the past seven days, RIVM recorded an average of 20 deaths per day, compared to 38 deaths per day a week earlier.
Photo taken on Dec. 20, 2021 shows an empty school in Haarlem, the Netherlands. (Photo by Sylvia Lederer/Xinhua)■
