The coronavirus R-number has risen to 2,17, the highest value recorded in the Netherlands since February 23, 2020, when it was 2,18.

Coronavirus R-number reaches 2,17

After dipping below one in May and June of this year, Aura Timen, head of the Centre for National Coordination of Infectious Disease Control (LCI) and member of the Outbreak Management Team (OMT), has informed the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) that the R-number in the Netherlands has once again risen to above two. 

The R-number indicates how quickly COVID-19 can spread in the Netherlands. The value of 2,17 means that 100 infected people can infect a further 217 people with coronavirus, who in turn infect a further 471. Timen explained that the current R-number reflected the coronavirus situation in the Netherlands on June 28 - just after the Dutch government lifted the final coronavirus restrictions.

Rise of the Delta variant in the Netherlands

The R-number takes all the various coronavirus variants into account, but it is interesting to note that, if only the new, highly contagious Delta variant is observed, the R-number is 2,52.