4 August, 2020 - Update On The Corona Crisis From Ghent

We should not ‘delude’ ourselves over the notion that we are in the all-clear. It isn’t all over! In Belgium the number of people that tested positive for the coronavirus between 22 and 28 July shows that an average of 448 people/day tested positive for the virus. This is more than double the average of 219 people/day that tested positive during the week between 15 and 21 July. I don’t think it’s ill-judged to claim the mode of everyday living that we have built for ourselves over the past months will go on for a while, at least until a vaccine becomes widely available. We must endure! We shouldn’t see the restriction that have been imposed on us as an intermission in our lives but more as a new reality. Unfortunately, a lot of people find it difficult to behave responsibly and adhere to the rules of the new normal. Today’s picture is one that I took in the city center of Ghent tow days ago. If we want to avoid a second lockdown, we will need to reduce the people in our social bubble to an absolute minimum and get more serious about social distancing and wearing face masks. The people pictured have lots of fun but you definitely can question if they behave responsible – Ajuinlei, Ghent, Belgium