3 May 2020 Update from A Locked Down Ghent

Yesterday was the first time since 29 March that there were fewer than 100 deaths: 82 COVID-19 fatalities were reported. Also, the pressure on hospitals is easing: 128 new patients were admitted. There are currently 3,111 patients with COVID-19 in hospital and 689 patients are in critical care. Meanwhile, there are more and more warnings about the social impact of the crisis. Social services reported that the requests for a “living wage” and food aid are both up. In addition, one in four businesses says it will require extra financial support in order to resume activities after the lockdown. The government continues to propose measures to address these challenges and most of them probably provide the best tool available. However, how sustainable are these measures? How effective are they and are they serving the right purpose? Are some of these measures not missing the point or too generous just for political gain? A lot of questions to noodle on while I’m continuing to explore Ghent’s street art scene… Dok Noord, Ghent, Belgium.