Belgium has turned red on the coronavirus map of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), meaning over 120 new coronavirus infections per 100,000 inhabitants were recorded in the last two weeks.
The updated map colours the entire territory of Belgium red, after the Brussels-Capital Region already received the red colour last week, while the rest of the country became dark orange. Other European countries, such as Spain and France, already turned red after previous changes.
This darker colour is in line with national health institute Sciensano’s figures, which show a rise in infections, hospitalisations and deaths since the start of September.
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On 25 July, Belgium turned light orange on the ECDC map for the first time, due to an increase in the number of coronavirus infections. Until then, the country was yellow, indicating fewer than 20 confirmed new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in two weeks.
In early August, Flanders turned dark orange for the first time, followed by first Brussels and then Wallonia by 20 August, meaning that between 60 and 120 new cases were being confirmed per 100,000 inhabitants across the whole territory. Not long after, the Brussels-Capital Region turned red.
At the start of September, after a steady decrease in the number of infections, the entire country was coloured light orange, before it once again turned darker on 18 September.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
