The number of people testing positive for coronavirus in the past seven days was down 16.5% on a week ago, public health institute RIVM said on Tuesday.

In total, 13,347 people have tested positive for the virus over the past week, the lowest figure since July. The number of hospitalisations (374)  was down 23% and 18% fewer people were admitted to an intensive care ward.

The under-20s account for the bulk of the new cases and fewer tests were actually carried out. Some 8% of all tests proved positive, the lowest percentage since the end of June.

There is also more evidence about the impact of vaccinations on the spread of the infection, the RIVM figures show. Of the 37,000 people testing positive so far this month and whose vaccination status is known, almost 70% were completely unprotected.

Some 29% of people testing positive for the virus had been fully vaccinated and 4% had had one jab.

So far, over 23 million vaccine doses have been given and almost 80% of the over 12s in the Netherlands are now fully vaccinated.