10 January 2021: Will it get worse before it will get better?

10 January 2021: The downward trend in the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 - based on the rolling average for 7 days - has been stopped. 1,776 people tested positive for coronavirus on average each day between 31 December and 6 January, a 10 percent rise on the week. This increase does not come as a surprise. However, there is no reason to panic, experts say. The number of Covid tests is 9 percent up on the week, standing at 30,100 per day. This is because fewer people had themselves tested during the Christmas holidays, and because many returning holiday makers are obliged to take a test when returning from a red zone abroad. Therefore, virologists have suggested that it may be better to look at the number of hospitalisations these days, since these are not subject to changing testing numbers. These numbers are still okay, with an average of 130 patients taken to hospital each day on average between 2 and 8 January. This figure, which is 3 days more recent, is 11 percent down on the week. However, the real test is still coming in the next two weeks, when we will see the full impact of returning tourists and the reopening of our schools. The key question is will it get worse before it will get better. To forget about the Covid saga we went for a long, corona proof, walk on the beach yesterday – De Haan, Belgium.