8 June 2020 Update from A Semi-Locked Down Ghent

Yesterday’s Corona figures in a summary: 154 new infection, a further 15 deaths and a total of 571 people hospitalised. Whilst the Corona pandemic is tailing off in Belgium the economic and social fallout becomes clearer and politicians are scrambling to appear decisive and compassionate for the sake of boosting their popularity. Last week the government announced that all employees will receive a €300 cheque that can be spent in bars, restaurants or hotels. Yesterday they published that everyone living in Belgium will receive a ticket offering 10 journeys on Belgian Railways free of charge. The government is playing Father Christmas. Unfortunately, most of these decisions are taken without consultation with the concerned stakeholders and without having a comprehensive economic policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the Covid-19 pandemic shakes the global economy and disrupts the way we live, work, and conduct business we are in urgent need for politicians that don’t simply react to the most imminent threats confronting them, but we need leaders with a vision for a clear post-crisis future. Today’s photography pictures some less concerned people sup boarding the rivers of downtown Ghent – Kantienberg, Ghent, Belgium.