30 March 2020 from A Locked Down Ghent

It has been months since a novel strand of the coronavirus was discovered in Wuhan, China. As the pandemic continues to spread, all kind of measures have been implemented to avoid transmitting the virus. For those keeping us safe self-isolation is not an option. As hospitals continue to welcome new coronavirus patients, medical staff are likely to come under further strain. In recognition for their invaluable work all kinds of initiatives have been launched. At display is a banner in front of the University Hospital in Ghent saying, “Your Good Care Gives Us Hope for Tomorrow”. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to everyone (healthcare workers, police officers, grocery store workers, truck drivers, etc.) that is working flat out to meet the challenge of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, the number of cases continues to increase, although the rate of increase appears to be slowing. The Belgian government confirmed 1,702 new cases of infection by Covid-19 to bring the total of confirmed cases to 10,836. Of the newly confirmed cases, 629 have been hospitalised, bringing the total to 4,138, of whom 867 are in intensive care. The number of fatalities went up by 78 since yesterday to bring the total to 431 for the whole epidemic so far. Stay Safe, Stay Healthy – Prinsenhof, Ghent, Belgium.