Coronavirus figures continue to rise

The public health science institute Sciensano has released the latest figures on the coronavirus pandemic in Belgium. They show further increases in the number of new infections, hospitalisations and deaths. 

During the week from 20 to 26 November an average of 17,796 people tested positive for coronavirus each day. This is up by 15% of the daily average for the previous week. During the same period an average of 117,500 coronavirus tests were carried out in Belgium each day, a rise of 13% on the previous week.

Of those tested during the week from 20 to 26 November 16.1% tested positive for the virus, a rise of 0.7 percentage points on the figures for the week from 13 to 19 November.

The basic reproductive rate (R0) for coronavirus in Belgium currently stands at 1.07. This means that on average every 100 people with the virus infect a further 107 others.

During the week from 23 to 29 November an average of 316 people with COVID-19 were admitted to hospital in Belgium each day. This is 13% up on the average number of admissions during the previous week. Currently 3,698 patients with COVID-19 are being cared for in Belgian hospitals, a rise of 12% on a week ago. Of these 757 are on ICUs (up 16%), of whom 397 are on ventilators.

The number of people with COVID-19 that are dying in Belgium is also up. During the week from 20 to 26 November an average of 39 people with COVID-19 died here each day. This is 15% up on the figures for the previous week. Since the onset of the pandemic 26,966 people with COVID-19 have died in Belgium. 

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