A further 76 people have been admitted to hospital with coronavirus in the Netherlands, down on the 88 reported on Tuesday, the public health institute RIVM said in its Wednesday update.

However, the number of confirmed coronavirus deaths rose by 145, well up on the 48 reported on Tuesday. The figure includes deaths recorded over the holiday weekend but which were not reported to the RIVM.

The official death toll from coronavirus in the Netherlands has now reached 4,711 but could be some 40% higher, when people who are thought to have died from the virus but have not been tested are included.

A further 386 people have tested positive for the disease, taking the total to 38,802. Testing is currently restricted to healthcare and care workers as well as people showing serious symptoms but will soon be widened to teaching staff when primary schools reopen.

The number of people being treated in intensive care wards has dropped to 804, of whom 28 are being looked after in Germany. ‘In addition, there has been an increase in non-Covid patients in ICUs, which means that planned care is also getting back up to steam,’ Ernst Kuipers, head of the national acute care network, told broadcaster NOS.

Survey

The RIVM has also published initial results from its ongoing survey of 3,000 people into their attitudes towards coronavirus and their need for information.

The survey shows that while people’s fears about coronavirus – both for their own health and the health of family members – peaked in early April, since then it has gone down slightly.

Nevertheless 42% remain worried about their own health and 65% are concerned about the health of relatives.