[24][25] Fifteen of them were allowed to travel back to Belgium on 28 February and the remainder on 5 March, without having been tested for the coronavirus upon arrival. At the end of March, it became clear that the peak of the only wave thus far of the pandemic within the country was expected in early April. [106], On 6 March, Federal Minister of Public Health Maggie De Block criticised EU governments for blocking the export of medical masks at a time when global stocks were decreasing, asserting that they were acting against the spirit of the European Union. Last updated: December 28, 2020, 17:23 GMT. Last 15 days, On 2 February, nine Belgian nationals living in Hubei were repatriated on an evacuation flight landing at Melsbroek Air Base close to Brussels, before being transferred to the Military Hospital of Neder-Over-Heembeek where they underwent a 14-day quarantine and were tested for infection with the virus. Les conducteurs bénévoles ne pourront pas ramener les fêtards à leur domicile cette année lors du réveillon de Nouvel An, déplorent mercredi les Responsible Young Drivers dans un communiqué. The actual number of infections, however, is likely to be much higher than the number of diagnosed cases, as laboratory tests are limited to specific people and/or people with severe symptoms, and because many people with mild or no symptoms do not seek medical help, even as they are likely to be transmitting the virus.[8]. [76] On 8 April, a drop in the number of active hospitalisations could be seen, which meant that a peak in them, and thus perhaps in infections, had been reached a couple days earlier. [240], The first recovered case was on 15 February 2020. Nov Conditions générales d’utilisation - On 20 March, the chairman of the Scientific Committee expressed the hope that the measures that came into effect on 14 March would lead to a stabilisation of the number of hospitalisations starting from the middle of the week beginning 23 March. [26], On 1 March, a second case was confirmed in Belgium, a Dutch-speaking woman who had returned from Crépy-en-Valois in one of the regions affected in France.[27]. [95], On 10 March, the government advised citizens to cancel any indoor scheduled events to be attended by more than 1,000 people for the month of March. This was only the third time the infection of a companion animal by its human companion had been reported worldwide. ", "Overleden: Hugo Ryckeboer (1935-2020) – Neerlandistiek", "Waarom ons land niet zegt waar de coronapatiënten wonen", "Coronavirus en Belgique: la province de Liège apparaît désormais fortement touchée, le point région par région (CARTES)", "Corona eist twee nieuwe levens in Limburg", "COVID-19 - Epidemiological data page for COVID-19", New Coronavirus (Disease: COVID-19, Virus: SARS-CoV-2), EPISTAT- Infectious Diseases Data Explorations & Visualizations, Public Health Emergency of International Concern, Decentralized Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing, Sancaktepe Prof. Dr. Feriha Öz Emergency Hospital, Yeşilköy Prof. Dr. Murat Dilmener Emergency Hospital, NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and the Humber, Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre, International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, COVID-19 Response Acceleration Task Force, Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups, Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, National COVID-19 Coordination Commission, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board (Turkey), Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Tests, cases, tests per capita, cases per capita by country, Tests, cases, tests per capita, cases per capita by country subdivision, World map by countries: confirmed per capita, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=COVID-19_pandemic_in_Belgium&oldid=997152979, Articles with dead external links from June 2020, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2020, Articles containing overly long summaries, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from April 2020, Articles needing more detailed references, Articles lacking reliable references from April 2020, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from June 2020, Articles needing examples from April 2020, All articles that may have off-topic sections, Wikipedia articles that may have off-topic sections from April 2020, Wikipedia articles in need of updating from April 2020, All Wikipedia articles in need of updating, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Le 31 décembre, les repas festifs seront amenés aux sans-abri et aux personnes isolées. [83], On 17 September, at least 77 youngsters from West Flanders tested positive for COVID-19 after a holiday in the Portuguese resort of Albufeira. Experts like Marc Wathelet, a virologist specialised in coronaviruses, urged for strict prevention measures, affirming that the Belgian federal minister of health Maggie De Block was underestimating the danger[129] and Professor in microbiology Herman Goossens of the UZA [nl] in Antwerp, called for wider screening for the virus. 48,5 procent minder auto's op de weg maar hamsteren veroorzaakt wel méér vrachtverkeer", "Corona does not necessarily imply less pollution", "Coronavirus lockdowns have changed the way Earth moves", "Coronavirus : pourquoi le nombre de cas détectés en Belgique ne représente pas grand-chose", "Marc Van Ranst: "Werkelijk aantal besmettingen ligt waarschijnlijk tien keer hoger, "Coronavirus en Belgique : combien y a-t-il de patients guéris ? [13][14] First reports of the coronavirus disease started to appear in the Belgian media around 8 January. [Mis à jour le 22 décembre 2020 à 16h05] ... qui pourra être retardé par les régions jusqu'à 1h30 à Noël et au Nouvel An. However, not much was changed and the care homes kept operating with a lack of tests and a lack of protective equipment while being required to keep many infected residents in the homes. The increased number of tests could partially but not fully explain the increasing number of infections. A case of a Belgian cat positive for Covid-19 On 18/03/2020, the FASFC, was informed by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Liège that viral RNA of the SARS-CoV2 virus (the aetiological agent of Covid-19) had been detected in the stools and vomits of a cat showing clinical signs of digestive and respiratory disease. ", "Le Belge contaminé par le coronavirus peut quitter l'hôpital Saint-Pierre", "Situation update for the EU/EEA and the UK", "Virologen aangeslagen door dood van 12-jarig meisje", "Belgian girl becomes Europe's youngest coronavirus victim: media", "Coronavirus: 1,850 new cases confirmed, 64 new deaths in Belgium", "Coronavirus: Why death and mortality rates differ", "Counting coronavirus: How are different countries calculating death tolls, and can you trust them? [65] While the high incidence in Honnelles could be linked to an outbreak in a centre for disabled people, the mayor of Quévy had no idea what caused the large outbreak in her municipality but complained of the lack of communication and protective equipment. [121][122][123][124][specify], Experts and authorities also used the media to express themselves throughout the crisis, either to reproach citizens organising or taking part in so-called 'lockdown or corona parties',[125] or otherwise to give their point of view. Here's Why It's Not Going to Get Better Anytime Soon", "China zuigt alle mondmaskers aan in België", "Belgische apotheken kunnen vraag naar mondmaskers niet aan", "Maggie De Block heeft oplossing klaar voor tekort aan mondmaskers in ons land: 'Nog langer wachten is geen optie, "Niet zeker of ziekenhuizen bestelde maskers krijgen", "Mogelijk fraude: kans dat mondmaskers tijdig geleverd worden aan ons land, 'is miniem, "Alarm over mondmaskers na 'mogelijke fraude, "Coronavirus : les 5 millions de masques arrivés en Belgique acheminés vers les hôpitaux", "5 millions de masques arrivés de Chine : des masques chirurgicaux, une protection insuffisante pour le Covid-19", "Coronavirus: le Chirec est prêt pour accueillir le pic mais il manque cruellement de masques", "Maggie De Block zwaar onder vuur: "Na deze pandemie zal ik de oprichting van een parlementaire onderzoekscommissie vragen, "The reference laboratory at the Leuven university hospital will have to limit the number of tests for the virus it carries out, after running short of essential reagents", "UZ Leuven moet tests voor coronavirus inperken vanwege tekort aan reagentia", "Lettre ouverte de deux chirurgiens à Sophie Wilmès sur le coronavirus: "La double peine du personnel hospitalier, "Coronavirus: des tests systématiques réclamés à la Première ministre par deux chirurgiens belges", "Vlaamse rusthuizen sluiten deuren voor bezoekers: "Blijf uit de buurt van oudere en verzwakte personen, "Rusthuismedewerkers maken zelf mondmaskers om bewoners beter te beschermen", "Zwakste rusthuisbewoners met corona gaan niet naar ziekenhuis", "Ruim 4.000 coronatesten per dag, ook in woonzorgcentra zal getest worden", "Woonzorgcentra testen op eigen houtje bewoners en personeel: "Niemand weet hoe erg het is, "In dit rusthuis vielen al 26 slachtoffers: "De geur die er hing blijft me bij, "Richtlijnen voor mondmaskers aangepast in woonzorgcentra", "Number of COVID-19 in Belgium exceeds 3,000", "L'évolution de la propagation du virus en Belgique: le lourd bilan humain des maisons de repos", "Coronavirus: Belgium tops the world in number of deaths in relation to population", "België neemt bijna leiding in aantal coronadoden per miljoen inwoners: zijn we dan zo slecht bezig? La fête d’anniversaire annuelle d’Hobo, qui bénéficie en temps normal à 250 sans-abri, ne pouvant pas avoir lieu à cause de la crise du coronavirus, la salle de concert ouvre la cuisine de ses coulisses en préparant un repas de fête. People could only go to a restaurant within their family and within the bubble. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. [citation needed], An agreement has finally been found on 16 March under the form of a continuation of the Wilmès I Government, with the exception that the government now has full legislative powers rather than being just a caretaker government. Many people go on ski vacation during that period and the number of detected virus infections rose sharply upon the return of people from holidays in affected areas. [169], In April, Belgium had very high mortality figures, the highest death rate from COVID-19 in the world at that time. We examine how different definitions and … However, not all countries count the deaths in the same way. [213], The idea of forming an emergency government emerged. Because of the use of actual dates and as some delay occurs in reporting, all figures are subject to retrospective updating. As of 3 April 92 % of the fatalities in Belgium were 65 years of age and older, 0.6 % were younger than 45 years and 58 % were men. [44], On 4 March, the European Defence Agency (EDA) confirmed that a staff member had tested positive for coronavirus, marking the first confirmed case in the agencies of the European Union. July and September 2020. Prime Minister Wilmès stressed this was not an interdiction but rather a recommendation. [120], The Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès addressed citizens twice via a web video, taking stock of the situation. ", "België wereldleider aantal overlijdens per 100.000 inwoners: "Onze telwijze heeft levens gered, "313 overlijdens in een dag: België telt meeste doden per 100.000 inwoners wereldwijd", "40,000 Missing Deaths: Tracking the True Toll of the Coronavirus Outbreak", "Belgium boasts coronavirus death count accuracy", "UZA test patiënten op coronavirus in aparte containers", "Red Cross to support Brussels, Liège hospitals in coronavirus screenings", "Charting Europe's capacity to deal with the coronavirus crisis", "Geert Meyfroidt: "Wellicht grootste nachtmerrie uit mijn carrière, "Corona fund: support research into COVID-19", "Coronavirus: Brussels hospital calls for donations to buy life-saving ventilators", "Leuven in race naar vaccin tegen Chinees longvirus", "Bill Gates bestelt grote coronastudie in Leuven", "New test to diagnose coronavirus developed by University of Namur", "Coronavirus: Belgium develops 15-minute virus test", "UZ Brussel test alle patiënten systematisch: 8 procent van de niet-covidpatiënten toch besmet", "What is herd immunity and can it stop the coronavirus? Nine of the new infected individuals had recently returned from Italy. [128], While the COVID-19 was already spreading to all regions of Italy in late February, the Belgian government has been criticised for its lack of action. The daily Sciensano report of 28 March saw a spectacular rise of the incidence numbers for the province of Liège: from 19 confirmed cases per 100 000 population on 27 March it rose to 77. Approximately 20 patients out of those 399 were being treated in intensive care. [145] On 15 March De Standaard newspaper reported that the masks had not been delivered on time,[146] and the following day De Block announced that her department's order of 5 million masks might have involved fraud. The FPS Health then reported local circulation of the virus in different parts of the country. [56] Two more patients died on the same day, one aged 73, and one of 86 who died in Sint-Genesius-Rode. "Manier van tellen is anders, "Van Gucht: 'We trekken ons best niets aan van internationale ranking van coronadoden, "The trends of the last days seem to persist", "Waarom je coronacijfers van landen niet zomaar kunt vergelijken", "Coronavirus: Belgium's high death toll will deter tourists", "Nieuw gemor over Belgische rapportering coronadoden", "Belgium says transparency explains high virus death toll", "Coronavirus: Counting all deaths in care centres is 'dumb, "Why does Belgium have so many Coronavirus deaths? Home > Sport > Football > D1A - 22-12-2020 à 07:00 - Stéphane LECAILLON - L'Avenir Lecture 3 min. Care organisations accused the minister of losing 3 weeks time, and being very late with an emergency plan. [239] The situation is similar in France. [163] Meanwhile, several homes got hit hard with dozens of deaths, and up 90% of the residents and inhabitants being infected. Efforts to address the coronavirus outbreak in Belgium are managed by the nine federal and regional health ministers, Maggie De Block (Open VLD, federal government), Wouter Beke (CD&V, Flemish Community), Christine Morreale [fr] (PS, French Community), Antonios Antoniadis [de] (SP, German-speaking Community), Bénédicte Linard [fr] (Ecolo, French Community), Valérie Glatigny [fr] (MR, French Community), Alain Maron [fr] (Ecolo, Brussels), Elke Van den Brandt [nl] (Groen, Brussels) and Barbara Trachte [fr] (Ecolo, Brussels),[89] with the support of: On 29 January, Belgium issued a travel notice advising against non-essential flights to China, Hong Kong excluded, with some travel companies cancelling all flights to China. The graphs below are based on the data collected by Sciensano[258] (Belgian Institute for Public Health), as per the actual dates. [28], As of 3 March, six further cases were confirmed, making a total of 14 cases. [201][202] University of Antwerp, with the assistance of KU Leuven and Hasselt University, launched a study to assess the impact of the containment measures and the evolution of the epidemic in Belgium, through a series of online surveys. [231][232], The Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy reported that the strong decrease in car and air traffic due to the confinement measures does not necessarily entail as strong a decrease in air pollution. [41] The Flemish Agency for Care and Health advised the school not to close down. Mar Nov [238] The number of recovered people who were tested positive but not admitted to hospital remains unknown as there is no follow-up on these cases. The situation in Belgium was no exception compared to other countries in the EU. [250] On 29 March the province of Liège even became the second worst affected province in Belgium after Limburg. ", "Le nombre de personnes guéries, l'autre chiffre sous-estimé", "Covid-19 : combien y a-t-il de personnes guéries en France ? visits are limited to 30 minutes). the national public health institute of Belgium (. [203][specify], In an effort to alleviate the hand sanitiser shortage in Belgium, several Belgian companies started to make alcohol[204] or to manufacture hand sanitisers themselves, like the pharmaceutical company Janssen Pharmaceutica,[205] the brewing company AB InBev[206] and the Sugar refinery of Tienen,[207] reaching a total of 1 million liters of gel and ending the shortage in the country. [37] Four cases were in the Leuven area,[38] one case in Hasselt,[39] and one in Pelt. May [126] On 21 March, Prof. Dr. Erika Vlieghe of the Scientific Committee mentioned that she expected the peak of the pandemic to occur in early April. ), Tests and new confirmed cases per day in Belgium [96] Schools remained open but are advised to cancel both trips abroad and multi-day excursions in general. The EU has an agreement in place with US firm Moderna for 160 million doses of its experimental vaccine. [47] Of the 50 people then infected one had recovered, 48 were quarantined in their homes and one person was being treated in the Sint-Pietersziekenhuis. [103] From 25 March onwards, people arriving at Brussels Airport were handed a leaflet with the compelling advice to quarantine themselves for a fortnight. [citation needed], As of 25 June, the Belgian authorities had reported 61,007 confirmed cases, with a total of 9,726 deaths and at least 17,688 discharged patients. [52], From 422 samples analysed on 7 March 31 were reported positive on 8 March (16 in Flanders, eight in Brussels and seven in Wallonia), bringing the number of infections to 200. Jun [130] Pharmacists complained they did not receive clear instructions from the authorities. [51] The FPS Health mentioned generally that "more and more infections are being contracted locally" but did not provide information on how many. [63] The mayor of Sint-Truiden, who was herself infected by the new coronavirus, mentioned she did not understand the reason for the high incidence in her town. [45][46], On 5 March 27 new confirmed cases were reported by the government (16 in Flanders, nine in Wallonia and two in Brussels), bringing the total to 50. It was strongly disapproved by Minister President of Flanders Jan Jambon who called it detrimental to the spread of the virus. Covid-19 : le Japon s’isole à nouveau et se ferme surtout aux Occidentaux Le Japon annonce son plan pour une neutralité carbone en 2050 Avec … [208], To make up for the shortage of medical masks, the Belgian textile sector was requested but unable to produce masks at short notice because of the lack of manufacturing capacity and of raw materials. In mid-October 2020, 26 people working at the Doel Nuclear Power Station tested positive for COVID-19. [12][170], Steven Van Gucht from Sciensano explained this was partly due to a difference in counting, compared to other countries. [45] The EDA cancelled all meetings until 13 March, and other EU institutions also took precautions. [186], Even if Belgium belongs to the EU's top five in terms of intensive care unit (ICU) capacity, with a number quoted to be around 15.9[187][188] to 16.5[189] ICUs per 100 000 inhabitants before the outbreak of the pandemic, the Belgian hospitals started to increase their number of intensive care units around 10 March. On 25 July new regulations made it compulsory to wear face coverings in most indoor spaces and busy outdoor spaces. Jul On 27 July, the government published new social distancing rules to come into effect in Belgium from 29 July, whereby the number of closer contacts of separate households was restricted to a group of maximum 5 people (the so-called "bubble of five"). Deaths with clinical symptoms of the coronavirus disease are considered as "suspicious" and are included in the figures of COVID-19 deaths, even if they were not tested. [112], On 7 April, a Group of Experts for an Exit Strategy (GEES), led by Erika Vlieghe and composed of 10 scientists, economists and top managers, was set up to advise the National Security Council on the restart of the country. With people who are not part of your bubble, safety distance had to be respected. Total cases in Belgium (cumulative) The virus was confirmed to have spread to Belgium on 4 February 2020, when one of a group of nine Belgians repatriated from Wuhan to Brussels was reported to have tested positive for the coronavirus. The COVID-19 pandemic in Albania is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).The first case in the Republic of Albania was reported in Tirana on 8 March 2020, when a patient and his adult son who had come from Florence, Italy tested positive.