The number of coronavirus patients in Dutch hospitals will top 1,000 this week, Ernst Kuipers, head of the national patient coordination centre, told reporters on Monday.

By Monday morning, the number of people in hospital with coronavirus had reached 892, a rise of 82 on Sunday. Of them, 177 are being treated in intensive care.

The rise is in line with expectations, Kuipers said: ‘We are going to reach the 1,000 mark this week.’

A computer breakdown at public health institute RIVM on Monday has delayed the publication of the latest figures for positive tests, which topped 4,000 for the first time on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the government has launched a new campaign aimed at encouraging people to listen to each other’s ‘sadness, disappointment and uncertainty’.

The campaign, entitled Aandacht voor elkaar, or ‘pay attention to each other’, also encourages people to set up safe communal activities during which they can share their experiences of coronavirus.