A total of 74,085 new positive coronavirus tests were reported to public health institute RIVM in the 24 hours to Friday morning, but the true figure is likely to be higher, given the backlog.

Some 76,000 positive tests have not yet been incorporated into the RIVM figures because of technical issues and the surge in the number of positive cases, the agency has confirmed.

Nevertheless, the new reports take the average number of cases over the past seven days to over 61,000, a rise of 54% on the previous week. Almost half of those taking a test at a regional health board centre had a positive result.

Hospital admissions are also now creeping up again after weeks of decline. There are now 1,141 people being treated for coronavirus in hospital, a rise of 11 on Thursday’s total. Of them 238 are in an intensive care ward, an increase of five on the previous day.

Meanwhile, the AD reported on Friday that more than 11,000 people who should have been hospitalised have actually been looked after at home since the pandemic started in March 2020.

They were put on oxygen and subject to intensive monitoring at a distance, the AD said. Currently around 1,760 people are being treated with oxygen at home.