A total of 6,757 new coronavirus cases were registered with the public health institute RIVM in the 24 hours to Monday morning.

Monday’s total is down 1,497 on Sunday’s reports and below the weekly average. Nevertheless, the average number of cases over the past seven days is up 4% on the previous week.

The health ministry now estimates 3.2 million doses of vaccine have been used since the Dutch campaign started in January. On Monday the first shipment of the single dose Janssen vaccine arrived at the central storage facility in Oss.

Patient coordination chief Ernst Kuipers told reporters on Monday it is crucial to speed up the vaccination rate.

‘We should think very carefully before recommending some vaccines not be used,’ Kuipers said, referring to the government’s much criticised decision to stop using the AstraZeneca vaccine for the under 60s.

The number of hospital patients has also gone up in the past 24 hours, and has now reached 2,517. Of them, 794 are being treated in an intensive care ward.