Despite a significant 24-percent fall in the number of new Dutch coronavirus infections reported on Tuesday, the total figures for Week 47 ending Tuesday morning were virtually flat compared to the previous week.
Children were the only segment of the Dutch population to show a week-to-week increase in per capita infections. Newborns up through children aged 12 tested positive at a rate of 53.58 per 100,000 residents, up 17 percent in a week. Children aged 13-17 showed an increase of over 28 percent to 370.07. The figures translated to 22 people aged 0-3 diagnosed with the infection, 541 aged 4-11, and 3,853 aged 12-17.
Amid the worsening situation among children, pediatric epidemiologist Patricia Bruijning argued for the government to take a new look at its approach to coronavirus restrictions in schools. “If we want the numbers to go down, I think we should also look at the schools,” she said to Nieuwsuur. “We took measures in many places to lower the reproduction number, but did nothing in schools. At some point you see that schools are taking the lead.”
