Belgium crosses 20,000 coronavirus death milestone
"Wearing a mask is compulsory from the age of 12" can we read on this sign in a street in Antwerp, in the Flemish region of Belgium, July 27, 2020. REUTERS / Bart Biesemans
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Belgium passed the 20,000 coronavirus death mark this Sunday, which keeps the kingdom in the sad world leader behind San Marino.
From the start of the first wave, the number of deaths from the coronavirus had reached records among Belgians and this number has remained very high since.
By way of comparison, Germany has twice as many deaths as Belgium for a population that is eight times larger.
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The death toll from the coronavirus reached 20,038 deaths this Sunday, a sad milestone but Belgium keeps a very particular way of establishing this morbid statistic: since the second wave all the deaths that had previously tested positive are counted even if the coronavirus is not the cause of death.
And during the first wave all the potential deaths had been counted, even in the absence of a test.
The Belgian health authorities emphasize that the rate of increase in
deaths is decreasing
, as is that of hospitalizations.
On the other hand, infections are
on the rise
, perhaps the result of holiday returns, according to doctor Yves Van Laethem, interfederal spokesperson for the coronavirus.
“
The practice of tests carried out in people who have symptoms in Belgium currently shows the same percentage overall, around 7% of positive tests.
5% of these contaminations are currently due to travelers returning from vacation
.
"
Apart from the reopening of driving schools on Monday,
restrictive measures
therefore remain in place in Belgium such as travel restrictions or the restricted social bubble.
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See also: Covid-19: Belgium, where the Pfizer vaccine is produced, in turn launches vaccination
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