 27 July 2021: There is no explosion of infections in Belgium like in the Netherlands, where all brakes are off, but the figures are still going up. Between 17 and 23 July, an average of 1,472 new coronavirus infections were detected per day, a 10% increase from the average of the previous week. While there is no reason to panic about the increase in Belgium’s coronavirus measures, everyone has to remain vigilant and leave the “empire of freedom” for after the summer, according to Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke. We now have been told that more freedom will be possible after the summer, when the number of fully vaccinated people has gone up from 50% to at least 70%. In summary, we are not there yet, so for now, we’ll keep our distance and put on our face masks. Meanwhile, almost the entire map of France turned orange again. Despite the rising number of infections in France, we have not been asked a single time for our European corona passport or a negative PCR test nor have we been stopped at the border to show our passenger locator form when we returned to Belgium late yesterday afternoon… Port-en-Bessin-Huppain, Normandy, France
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 25 July 2021: Virtually all corona indicators are continuing to edge higher in Belgium, but increases are lower than in recent days. Between 15 and 21 July, an average of 1,384 new coronavirus infections were detected per day, a 8% increase from the average of the previous week. There are currently 273 people in hospital because of the coronavirus of whom 84 people are treated in intensive care. The reproduction number stands at 1.1. As the coronavirus is gaining ground again in many parts of western Europe travelling is getting more and more complicated. Nevertheless, we decided to take a long weekend break in France. Although the situation is also worsening in France, where more regions are taking on an amber colour, we felt that a couple of corona proof days in rural Normandy should not be a problem. Our first stop was Honfleur. We’ve not visited Normandy’s most charming port town for decades and we recall the Vieux Bassin being overrun with tourists during the months of July and August. However, this time around there were no large crowds and it was not a problem at all to comply with the recommend 1,5 m social distancing – View Bassin, Normandy, France
 23 July 2021: First the good news: the hike in new infections that we saw in recent days, is slowing down. Between 13 and 19 July, an average of 1,406 new coronavirus infections were detected per day, a 19% increase from the average of the previous week. This being said, the reproduction number stands at 1.24. This means the pandemic is still growing. Also, the number of hospital admissions is on the up. The rolling average for daily hospital admissions between 15 and 21 July was 27. It is especially younger people ending up in hospital: 68 percent is younger than 60. Meanwhile, over half of all people living in Belgium (50.3%) have been fully vaccinated. This percentage amounts to almost 5.8 million people, whilst just under 68% of the entire population, have received at least a first dose. The bad news is that we’re starting to see vaccinated people testing positive for SARS-CoV-2. But as worrying as this trend may seem, breakthrough infections — those occurring in vaccinated people — are still relatively uncommonand those that cause serious illness, hospitalization or death even more so. More than 97% of people hospitalized for Covid-19 are unvaccinated. Whether a vaccinated person ever becomes infected depends on the viral load a person is exposed to, how high antibodies spiked after vaccination, how potent those antibodies are against the variant, and whether the level of antibodies in the person’s blood has waned since immunization. All of this argues for an accelerated worldwide vaccination campaign and a booster shot in fall/ early winter – Ghent, Belgium.
 22 July 2021: Although there is still an increase in the number of people testing positive, this figure is going up slightly less quick than in the previous two weeks. Between 12 and 18 July, an average of 1,351 new coronavirus infections were detected per day, a 26% increase from the average of the previous week. Last Tuesday, a total of 266 people were in hospital as a result of the coronavirus of whom 87 people were being treated in intensive care. The incidence, which indicates the average number of new cases per day per 100,000 inhabitants, is continuing to increase rapidly and is sitting now at 143.4. The reproduction rate of the coronavirus stands at 1.24. The good news is that almost 5.6 million people (60.8% of the adult population in Belgium) have received a second dose of the vaccine and are now considered fully protected. An interesting read was the address of the director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Tokyo, on the eve of the Olympic Games. He denounced the inequal distribution of the vaccines, saying that in low-income countries, only 1% of people have received at least one dose, compared with more than half of people in high-income countries. He stressed that the longer this discrepancy will persist, the longer the pandemic will drag on, and so will the social and economic turmoil it brings. He compared the pandemic with an inferno saying “if you hose only one part of it, the rest will keep burning. And the embers of one fire can easily spark another even more ferocious blaze somewhere else”. He couldn’t be more right – Walcheren, Zeeland, the Netherlands.
 21 July 2021: Today, Belgium celebrates its National Day. Even though Belgium became an independent state in 1830, the national holiday dates back to 1831, when Leopold I took the constitutional oath as the first king of the Belgians. Just like last year the pandemic and now also last week’s floods are casting a long shadow over the celebrations. Today’s events are a display to honor our heroes. Initially, this concerned our heroes in health care, but rescue workers, who took part in operations to tackle the floods, are now also being honored. Meanwhile, the increase in the average number of daily hospitalizations and new cases of coronavirus continues. Between 11 and 17 July an average of 1,345 new coronavirus infections were detected per day, a 33% increase from the average of the previous week. During the same period an average of 23 patients were hospitalized per day. Belgium’s Reproduction number stands at 1.49. There was some more worrying news today. According to a new study the vaccine made by J&J is much less effective against the delta variant of the virus. The new study has not yet been peer reviewed nor published in a scientific journal. But it is consistent with observations that a single dose of the AZ vector vaccine also shows only about 33% efficacy against symptomatic disease caused by the Delta variant. There is still a lot of research to be done to confirm these initial findings but there is one thing you can be sure of…There is light at the end of the tunnel. Yes. But it’s a long tunnel – Walcheren, Zeeland, the Netherlands
 Spain, Portugal, Malta, the Netherlands and Luxemburg are colored red on the ECDC map. Additionally, almost all of Greece and Denmark, the Mediterranean coasts of Croatia and France, and the French capital of Paris have turned orange. Also, Belgium is colored orange again. Orange meaning that the risk of infection is now considered “moderate”. Against the backdrop of the rising infection figures the Belgian government announced yesterday stricter rules for travelers returning home. First, all travellers wanting to enter Belgium after at least 48 hours abroad are required to complete the Passenger Locator Form, regardless of the colour code of the zone they return from. Second, those returning from a red zone without being fully vaccinated or having a recovery certificate have to get PCR tested on day 1 and day 7 after they come home. If the test is positive, a quarantine of 10 days is mandatory. The colour codes no longer matter for people who are fully vaccinated or recently recovered from a Covid-19 infection, as they do not have to get tested or quarantine upon return to Belgium. Meanwhile, the number of infections continue to rise in Belgium. Between 10 and 16 July an average of 1,330 new coronavirus infections were detected per day, a 41% increase from the average of the previous week. During the same period an average of 21 patients were hospitalized per day. We’re limiting ourselves to a corona proof one day outings just across the border in Zeeland – Walcheren, Zeeland, the NetherlandsParagraph.
 11 July 2021: The sharp rise in the average number of daily new cases of coronavirus diagnosed continues. The average daily number of new cases of Covid-19 went up in the past seven days to 86%, continuing the precipitous rise of the last few days. On Friday, a total of 240 people were in hospital as a result of the coronavirus of whom 93 people were being treated in intensive care. The incidence, which indicates the average number of new cases per day per 100,000 inhabitants, now sits at 65.8.The reproduction rate of the coronavirus fell slightly from 1.09 to 1.06. Meanwhile the vaccinations carried out today will take the number of people fully vaccinated to more than 50% of the adult population of Belgium. Despite this worrying trend the summer exodus started resulting in significant delays on roads in France and elsewhere. Another catalyst for a potential fourth wave? The triennial Bruges offers an excellent alternative to long road travel. From May 8th till Oct 24th, Triennial Bruges brings contemporary art and architecture to one of Belgium’s major art cities. On display is an installation of Gijs Van Varenbergh. His work, Colonnade, is somewhere between a forest of impenetrable trees and a Roman column gallery - Triennial Bruges 2021, Bruges, Belgium.
 10 July 2021: In recent days the figures relating to the coronavirus pandemic in Belgium have taken a turn for the worse. The number of new infections has been rising for around a week now and yesterday (Friday) the average number of daily hospital admissions rose for the first time in weeks. During the week from 30 June to 6 July an average of 697 people tested positive for the coronavirus. This is 81% up on the figures for the previous week. The total number of patients with COVID-19 that are being cared for in the country’s hospitals stands now at 250. Of those hospitalised 95 are on intensive care wards. The basic reproductive rate for coronavirus in Belgium currently stands at 1.09. Since a large number of people have still not been fully immunized against COVID-19 and since there is no reason to believe that the figures will start falling again in a couple of weeks the situation is very worrying. Belgium is not alone. The number of coronavirus infections is increasing across Europe. In the Netherlands, the number of coronavirus infections is rising sharply, with 6,986 new cases in the past 24 hours. The Dutch government announced yesterday new restrictions to limit the hospitality industry and live events sectors. In summary until a very high % of the population is fully immunized we will need to remain cautious – Bruges, Belgium.
 4 July 2021: We have not been traveling abroad during the corona pandemic instead we enjoyed Belgium’s cities of art and its art festivals. On display is a work of Henrique Oliveira. The wooden branches that crawl over the stone edge to the water is a work that he made at the occasion of the third edition of the Triennial Bruges. This year’s edition is in search of the hidden dimensions of the city. For many, Bruges is a dream destination, seemingly picture perfect, but is it? In Oliveira’s work it seems as if nature has free rein behind the walled city but has it. I’m sure that many environmentalists would not agree. Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus infections is up for the second day in a row, but hospitalizations and fatalities continue to fall. During the week from 24 to 30 June an average of 404 people tested positive for the coronavirus. This is 14% up on the figures for the previous week. On Friday 2 July, hospitals reported 21 hospitalisations. This brings the total number of COVID-19 patients that are being cared for in Belgian hospitals to 271, a fall of 29% on a week ago. Of those hospitalised 123 patients are on ICUs. There are three reasons for the increase in number of infections. First, the holiday period has begun and there has been a big increase in the number of tests that are being carried out. Second, the more contagious delta variant is gaining ground. Last, there have been the impact of the relaxations and the fact that more people are going easy on the basic rules of social distancing and the wearing of face masks. Subject experts, however, are saying that as long as the number of hospitalizations is going down, we shouldn’t be too concerned about the increase in the number of infections. Let’s hope they are right – Augustijnenrei, Bruges, Belgium.
 3 July, 2021: The delta variant of the coronavirus is on the rise and is forecasted to become the dominant strain of the virus in Belgium before the end of the month. Subject experts are saying that the increase cannot be thwarted by vaccination alone. First, only a third of the population is fully immunised and that is not sufficient and second, those that are vaccinated are much less likely to become ill but can still carry and spread the virus. Hence, everything is dependent on our behaviour in the coming weeks whether or not we’re moving towards a fourth wave. The first signs of the increase of the delta variant were reflected in yesterday’s figures. During the week from 23 to 29 June an average of 378 people tested positive for the coronavirus. This is 5% up on the figures for the previous week. There was, however, also good news yesterday. Together with 60,000 other people in Flanders, I was able to bring forward my appointment for the second dose of AZ coronavirus vaccine with three weeks. Also, at the current rate of vaccinations 80% of all adults in the northern part of our country should be fully vaccinated. Oh, one last thing, Italy beat our Red Devils 2-1 in the Euro 2020 quarter final in Munich… Belgium is in deep mourning...
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