25 May 2020 Update from A Semi-Locked Down Ghent

43 COVID-19-related deaths were reported yesterday, but for the second day in a row there were fewer than 50 hospitalisations. All excellent news if it was not for the 282 new cases of coronavirus that were confirmed. That number is still relatively high and hasn’t been moving down for the last couple of days. There was also mention that there are a lot of bankruptcies expected in the non-food industry yesterday. While businesses in that sector have reopened their doors, their turnover is still way below normal, according to a survey published on Saturday. Also, the hospitality business is becoming more outspoken about their desire to re-open shop earlier then June 8. I must admit that during our corona walks we’re missing a cool refreshment on one of the many terraces downtown Ghent – Slachthuisbrug, Ghent, Belgium.