2 March 2021: Loneliness in response to the COVID-19 pandemic…

2 March 2021: The figures continue to rise albeit at a slower pace. In the week to 26 February on average 2394 people tested positive each day. This figure is up 12% on the week. In the same period on average 137 people diagnosed with Covid-19 were hospitalized. The figure is up 15% on the week. Meanwhile, Belgium’s corona vaccination campaign continues to be a mess. According to figures published by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) Belgium is with 4,5% residents getting their first dose ranking 23rd on the European list. Malta is in first place with 10.1 percent of residents getting their first dose, followed by Denmark at 8.8 percent, and Finland at 7.7 percent. Bulgaria is at the bottom of the list, with less than 3 percent of the population getting their first vaccine. Also, Germany, France and the Netherlands are all doing better than Belgium with respectively 5,4%, 5,0% and 7,0% of the population having received their first jab. Clearly, there are hiccups in our vaccination campaign which are not acceptable and that absolutely must be resolved. To manage my frustration about so much bureaucracy and incompetence I continue to enjoy documenting how life unfolds before my eyes during these unprecedented times. I bucketed this picture in the category loneliness, worries, anxiety, and precautionary behaviours in response to the COVID-19 pandemic – Citadelpark, Ghent, Belgium.