There were around 3,500 excess deaths in November, according to government statistics office CBS.

The ‘excess deaths’ figure is considered an indicator of the spread of coronavirus, and reached a peak during the first wave of the pandemic, when in the 14th week of 2020, there were some 2,000 more deaths than would be expected.

In every week in November this year, more people died than usual, and the month’s death toll was 30% higher than in a normal year, at 15,315.

The CBS later collates death certificates, where GPs register the cause of death, and this data is considered by the government to be ‘the most accurate’ coronavirus mortality rate.

The statistics office has also studied causes of death up to the end of July and concluded that at least 31,573 people have died of coronavirus in the Netherlands since the start of the pandemic.

How many people have actually died from coronavirus?

Government dashboards report a third different number, those corona patients who were positive in an RIVM official test and then died (currently 19,524 people). The CBS explains: ‘Because possibly not all people with Covid-19 get tested, there is no obligation to report Covid-19 deaths, and registration can sometimes take longer, the actual numbers of dead Covid-patients are higher.’

In the last week of November, 4,100 people passed away, which was 1,100 more than in a normal year. The CBS figures suggest that excess deaths were greatest in the province of Limburg, where 53% more people passed away than would normally be expected.

The numbers of people dying in care homes and care institutions in November were also significantly higher than usual.