Coronavirus cases fell by nearly 5% in the last week of November, suggesting infections may be levelling off after falling by nearly 80% in the previous seven weeks.

Over the last seven days 5,155 people tested positive for the virus, down from 5,417, though PCR testing is limited to people over 70 or those with underlying medical conditions.

The number of patients admitted to hospital and intensive care increased, though both levels remain much lower than this time last year when admissions were above 300 a day.

The public health agency RIVM said 324 people were admitted to hospital with Covid-19 in the last week, compared to 300 the week before, while intensive care admissions went up from 18 to 30.

The amount of virus circulating in the sewage system, seen as a potential early indicator of the spread in the population, increased by 28% in the week to November 20 and is back at the levels recorded at the start of the month.

The weekly survey of doctors’ surgeries also found 4.3% of patients had Covid-like symptoms, slightly more than the previous week. The RIVM’s ‘thermometer’ remains at level 1, meaning the risk of an outbreak is seen as low.