Six more people have been admitted to hospital and another three have died, taking the Dutch total corona death toll to 6,103, according to public health institute the RIVM.

The figures, which only record the number of people who tested positive for corona, are thought to have underestimated the total number of victims by up to 30%, due to a very limited availability of testing in the first weeks of the epidemic.

However, the infection rate has now fallen dramatically, leading prime minister Mark Rutte to announce a new round of relaxation in the rules earlier this week. A report by the Outbreak Management Team weighed the ‘social costs’ of remaining in lockdown against the risk of infections rising and recommended these measures.

According to the official total, so far 50,005 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in the Netherlands – a growth of 96 on yesterday. Since June 1 anyone with complaints has been eligible for a test.

The infection rate is now considered so low that Rutte has given his last corona press conference for the moment and the RIVM will move next week to announcing figures weekly rather than daily.

A demonstration from the group ‘Viruswaanzin’ (virus lunacy) planned for Sunday in The Hague has meanwhile been banned, reports NOS, after a previous protest saw 400 arrests.