The public health institute RIVM has received 8,713 positive coronavirus test reports in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning, but that includes some cases from Tuesday which were not included then because of computer problems.

Just 5,373 new cases were reported to the RIVM on Tuesday, taking the average over the two days to 7,000. This is some 900 below the average number of cases over the past seven days, indicating the rise in new cases may have slowed.

Most new cases were in Rotterdam with 492, followed by Amsterdam (351) and The Hague (290).

The number of people being treated in hospital has risen slightly to 2,611, of whom 814 are in intensive care. It is the 12^th day in a row that the number of IC patients has topped 800.

The RIVM also said it expected that a million people in the 18 to 60 age group who are being vaccinated against coronavirus because they have underlying health problems will  now be completed a week ahead of schedule.

The early delivery of almost two million Pfizer vaccines means the process can start in the second week of May.