Tuesday’s weekly coronavirus report from the National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM) revealed that, since July 1, one in ten people who tested positive for coronavirus were fully vaccinated. The RIVM therefore asks everyone - including those that are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 - to maintain 1,5-metre distance from others.
Between July 1 and July 19, 77 percent of new coronavirus cases occurred among people who were not (yet) vaccinated, or who had received only one jab less than 14 days prior to testing positive. Meanwhile, nine percent of people who tested positive for coronavirus were fully vaccinated, and 14 percent were partially vaccinated.
“It is clear that vaccination does protect against the coronavirus, but not completely,” says Susan van den Hof, head of the Center for Epidemiology and Surveillance of Infectious Diseases at RIVM. “Vaccinated people can still get infected and spread the virus. However, they rarely become seriously ill.”
While the vaccines are effective in preventing serious illness, hospitalisation, or death, all have proved to be less effective against the new highly contagious Delta variant, particularly Janssen and AstraZeneca. As the Delta variant continues to spread in the Netherlands, virologists warn vaccinated people to be careful and stick to the basic rules outlined by the Dutch government.
The RIVM report also highlighted the fact that, over the last few days, the infection rate in the Netherlands appears to have stabilised, likely thanks to the new restrictions announced at the press conference on July 9. On Tuesday, 6,823 new cases were reported on the coronadashboard, compared to almost 9.000 on July 19 and over 11.000 on July 17.
The spike in cases that occurred two weeks ago is now starting to have consequences for Dutch hospitals, as more and more coronavirus patients require hospital care. Last week, 205 new COVID-19 hospitalisations were recorded, 120 more than the week before.
The country’s national vaccination campaign does mean that the average age of hospital patients is decreasing; two-thirds of patients being admitted to hospital are under the age of 60, compared to only a third in December. Now, most patients are between the ages of 40 and 59, whereas at the start of May most patients were between the ages of 60 and 79.