8 October 2020: Update on The Corona Pandemic – Brussels shuts down bars as of today

8 October 2020: Update on The Corona Pandemic – More and more people are coming down with the coronavirus in Belgium. On average, 2,466 people a day tested positive over the last week. In Brussels the situation is derailing. In a ranking of European capitals, based on infection levels, Brussels is now second, only behind Madrid and just ahead of Paris. The latest figures showed that there were now 500 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants, a figure towering well-above the alarming threshold of 50. Also, the 15% of beds set aside for corona patients have been filled in all hospitals in Brussels. In two hospitals over a quarter of beds are occupied by corona patients. In an attempt to curb the soaring numbers of infections and to enable hospitals to continue to offer regular services to non-Covid patients the city is further tightening its coronavirus restrictions one day after our new federal government announced stricter rules. All bars in the Brussels are shutting down as of today. In addition, drinking alcohol in public will be banned and amateur sports events and competitions will be allowed to continue but without a public. Today’s picture was taken 5 years ago on the “Grand Place” in Brussels. The waiter, just like all of us, had no idea what was coming – Grand Place, Brussels, Belgium.