Dutch coronavirus death toll jumps to 43, confirmed cases rise over 20%

The coronavirus has claimed more victims in the Netherlands, with the death toll rising from 24 to 43 since Monday, according to the latest update from public health institute RIVM.

The patients who have died so far were aged 63 to 94 and had underlying health issues, the RIVM said. The age of the youngest victim had been erroneously given as 59 on Monday.

The number of confirmed infections has risen by 292 to 1,705. That total includes 389 people who work in healthcare and who are tested more often than the general population.

The health agency has changed the way it illustrates the spread of the disease on its interactive map, marking instead the number of infections per 100,000 of the population.

Noord Brabant still has far more infections than anywhere else in the country, with a total of 634 confirmed cases. Limburg has the second most victims with 197 and Zuid-Holland 175.

It is still too early to determine what the effect of the new government measures to control the virus, including the closure of cafes and bars, has been, the RIVM said.