The public health institute RIVM registered 7,142 new coronavirus cases in the 24 hours to 10 am on Wednesday morning, a rise of 743 on Tuesday’s total.

Despite the increase, the figure is still below the average of 7,726 cases recorded over the past week.

There was also a reduction in the number of hospital patients. In total, 2,835 people with coronavirus are being treated in hospital, of whom 704 are in intensive care.

According to national patient coordination centre LCPS, 262 new patients were admitted to hospital, a drop of 58 on Tuesday’s total. Intensive care admissions were also down from 46 to 39.

Prime minister Mark Rutte acknowledged during Tuesday’s debate on the government’s pandemic strategy that the chances of being able to ease the lockdown on January 19 were receding. ‘If you look at the current infection numbers it doesn’t look very hopeful,’ he said.

Rutte and health minister Hugo de Jonge are due to give an update on the situation in the Netherlands next week.