23 October 2020: Belgium is divided about going back into lockdown.

23 October 2020: Update on The Corona Pandemic – As the number of infections continue to go up, experts and politicians alike are divided on whether or not Belgium should return to lockdown. Some argue that a short but strict lockdown would avoid a much longer semi-lockdown period that will eventually exhaust and frustrate everyone and proclaim that it would have a less sever socio-economic impact. Others argue for stricter measures but only in areas and regions where the biggest difference can be made to break the infection chain. Some also stress that the effects of the measures that went into force on Monday are not visible yet and that as a minimum we should wait for the impact these measures made before implementing additional restrictions.Net-net, we do not know and only can speculate what the government will decide later tonight. Meanwhile, all Belgian hospitals have been told to postpone non-urgent surgeries and to reserve 60% of their intensive care beds for Covid-19 patients. Yesterday, it also became public that Sophie Wilmès, who took over Belgium’s premiership last year and steered the country through the first wave of the pandemic and currently holds the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs, was admitted into the ICU. Clearly, young or old, rich or poor we all can get infected. Wondering what the next days will bring I wandered through the streets enjoying the scenery of the city in the beautiful warm sunny glow of the evening – Portus Ganda, Ghent, Belgium