24 April 2020 Update from A Locked Down Ghent

Yesterday’s figures continue to provide hope that the corona emergency is easing while the epidemic continues to demand a high toll: 230 corona-related deaths were recorded and 211 patients were hospitalised, bringing the total number of people that are treated in hospital to 4,527. Meanwhile, the corona death toll in Belgium keeps attracting attention of the international press. Whilst the European press acknowledges that our figure is an overestimate and that it’s nearly as we are being too honest some US press is less diplomatic when talking about the mortality rate in Belgium: “Champion of Coronavirus” and “Belgian Corona Riddle” … Our virologists are urging caution when comparing figures and stress that we are the only country to include deaths in care homes. I think we all should realize that the corona crisis is not a race and that we'd be better off concentrating on finding the best way to count deaths instead of pointing fingers. In the midst of all of this, I continue with my daily corona walk documenting Ghent as it unrolls before my eyes… - Brugse Poort, Ghent, Belgium