Another 8,522 coronavirus cases were recorded on Monday, a near-sixfold increase in the last week, the public health agency RIVM reported.

The daily figure fell for the second day in a row from its peak on Saturday, when more than 10,000 positive tests were confirmed in a 24-hour period for the first time since December.

The average number for the last seven days increased to 6,619, compared to around 600 at the beginning of the month, while 14.5% of all tests on Monday were positive.

The figure represented a 461% increase on last Monday’s total at the same stage of the week. Over the last seven days the number of confirmed cases has gone up by 559.5%.

The number of patients in hospital with coronavirus went up in the last 24 hours from 206 to 213, of whom 84 are being treated in intensive care. The number of beds occupied tends to peak at the start of the week because fewer people are discharged at the weekend.

The RIVM also reported one more death from Covid-19, in line with the average of one per day in the last week.