14 May 2021: Are the dark and rainy days over or will the Indian variant spoil the party?

14 May 2021: More than 40% of the adult population in Belgium have already received their first coronavirus vaccine jab and in a couple of hours from now I’m one of them. While the number of people testing positive for the virus remains more or less stable at a level that is still very high, the significant fall in the number of COVID-19 patients being cared for in the country’s hospitals continues.There are 657 patients being treated in intensive care for Covid-19 and a total of 2,024 people hospitalised with a coronavirus infection, a fall of 18% compared with a week ago. During the week from 4 to 10 May an average of 2,852 people in Belgium tested positive for the coronavirus each day this figure is down 4% on the average for the previous week. The reproduction number continues to stand at 0.91. With the vaccination campaign moving at full speed, everybody is hoping that the dark and rainy days are over. Let’s hope that the Indian mutation of the virus doesn’t spoil the party. Therefore, all eyes are now on the UK, and the progress of the Indian mutation, which is much more present there than it is here. On display today is the skyline of Ghent from the Museum of Industry – Ghent, Belgium.