Belgium has logged an average of 3,596 new daily COVID-19 infections between July 26 and August 1, which is down by 12% from the previous seven days, as per figures shared by the Sciensano Institute of Public Health on Friday.
The average number of tests taken on a daily basis decreased slightly from the last week, at around 13,200, while the positivity rate was 29.9%. Meanwhile, the number of infections among the working population had halved in the last two weeks as compared to the previous period, when the figures doubled.
Whereas, Omicron BA.5 remains the dominant strain, which accounts for 93.9% of all infections. The strain is referred to be no more or less infectious than the other Omicron subvariants but is effective at circumventing people’s accumulated immunity.
At the same time, the number of casualties due to the virus has also dropped down, with 11 COVID-19 patients dying each day over the last seven days (-13% from the previous week). The overall number of casualties in Belgium since the beginning of the pandemic is 32, 296.
It includes people who had died of another cause but who happened to be infected, meaning that it is an overestimate of deaths attributed to COVID-19.
In the last 7 days, an average of 119 patients suffering from COVID-19 were admitted to hospitals each day-a 21% decrease from the last seven days.
This shows the number of people hospitalized due to the virus, not those admitted with another condition who test positive for coronavirus.
On Thursday, a total of 1,760 people were in Belgian hospitals due to an infection, 240 fewer than on Tuesday, while the number of people being treated in intensive care sits at 119 (-5). This number includes patients admitted with a different condition who later tested positive.
