29 April 2020 Update from A Locked Down Ghent

Yesterday’s figures: 123 COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospital and 65 patients were discharged. This brings the total number of patients in hospitals to 3,976. A further 134 deaths from COVID-19 were reported, bringing the total number of deaths from the virus in Belgium so far to 7,331. The corona virus continues to plague nursing homes: 3.9% of staff and 13.49% of the residents of Flemish care homes tested so far have been found to be infected with the novel coronavirus. It was clear almost from the outset that the elderly and frail were in the greatest danger from Covid-19. And it was clear to anyone familiar with nursing homes that a lot of them would not be up to the task of protecting their older and infirm residents. A pandemic is a force of nature that cannot be avoided. But years of neglect, poor regulations and under financing have left a lot of older residents and their staff unprotected from COVID-19. I hope we collectively learn how to do better moving forward. Stay safe, stay healthy – Ghent, Belgium