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COVID-INFECTIONS-RISE- NETHERLANDS
COVID-19 infections on rise again in Netherlands
THE HAGUE, July 21,2020 (XINHUA) –The spread of the novel coronavirus in the Netherlands grew significantly in the past week after months of slowing down, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) announced on Tuesday.
Over the past week, 987 new COVID-19 infections were reported, which are nearly twice as many as the previous week, when 534 new infections were reported.
A total of 19 COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospital, an increase of three patients compared to last week, while seven deaths were reported, one less than the week before.
“The novel coronavirus is starting to spread again in the Netherlands,” the RIVM warned. “The number of people infected with the novel coronavirus is increasing. The percentage of positive tests in the test lanes is rising, and the reproduction number is above one again.”
The RIVM stressed that it is still important for Dutch people to comply as much as possible with the measures to prevent the spread of the virus. The main government instructions are social distancing, to wash hands, sneeze and cough into the elbow, use paper tissues and to stay home and get tested at the first sign of symptoms.
BSS/XINHUA/IJ/2033 hrs