New figures from the State Serum Institute (SSI) have revealed that Denmark has seen a record number of COVID-19-related hospitalisations over the past 24 hours.

Setting aside the number of people who have been discharged and deaths, 54 more people were in hospital compared to the day before – the highest one-day increase since the pandemic started.

In total, there are now 493 people in hospital due to COVID-19 – the highest since April 6 and close to the record of 535 set on April 1. 

Over the past 24 hours, a further 3,692 people have tested positive for the coronavirus. 

READ ALSO: Denmark has enough hospital beds to handle COVID-19

Non-critical treatment postponed
In a bid to curb the spread of the virus, the government ushered in further restrictions last week. 

However, the effect of that has yet to be seen in hospitals around the country. 

“We shouldn’t expect to see it yet. But within the next 2-4 days we would like to see the curve flatten out, so we can avoid further measures being taken,” Svend Ellermann-Eriksen, a head doctor at the Department of Microbiology at Aarhus University, told TV2 News.

The increase in hospitalisations has begun to strain hospitals across the country.

Over the past five days, hospitals in the capital area have experienced a 60 percent increase in COVID-19 patients and the Capital Region moved to postpone 40 percent of non-critical treatment to make room for the influx.

The good news is that the health authority, Sundhedsstyrelsen, said this week that Denmark has enough capacity in its hospitals to handle the rising number of hospitalised COVID-19 patients.