City council health boards carried out 140,432 coronavirus tests last week, following mounting concern that not everyone with symptoms was coming forward.

Both ministers and local officials had appealed for more people to sign up for tests, as the weekly total fell below 100,000.

The 40% increase in testing has taken the positive test percentage down from 3.5% to 2.5%, almost back to the level of a month ago, website Nu.nl reported.

The figures are still provisional and will not be confirmed until the public health institute gives its weekly update on Tuesday.

More than one million people – out of a population of over 17 million – have now been tested for the virus, Nu.nl said.

Government officials expect more tests to be taken in the coming weeks as the autumn begins and coughs and colds become more common. ‘Capacity within the testing chain is to be further expanded because of the expected increase,’ the ministry said in a statement.