PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th January, 2022) The Netherlands has recorded 42,472 new COVID-19 cases over the past day, which is its highest daily increase since the start of the pandemic, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) said on Monday.
The record daily toll, logged from Sunday to Monday, is 6,202 cases more than the day before and nearly 7,000 more than last Friday.
The plurality of new cases was recorded in Amsterdam (3,328), Rotterdam (1891) and Utrecht (1502).
While the daily average of cases has increased by 26% to 34,371, the average daily death toll has decreased from 17 to 10 per week, the RIVM said.
On December 19, the Netherlands went into another lockdown, closing cafes, bars, restaurants, museums, theaters, sports venues and all but essential stores, aiming to hinder the spread of the Omicron variant.
On January 2, thousands of Dutch protesters unhappy with the lockdown gathered to rally in central Amsterdam. As a result of brief clashes with the police, two dozen people were arrested for public order violations, assault and weapon possession. Four law enforcement officers were injured. The lockdown ended on January 14 as planned initially.
