For the first time since coronavirus figures started rising again during the summer, an expert confirmed that Belgium is experiencing "a second wave" during a press conference on Wednesday.
"This is indeed a second wave," said interfederal Covid-19 spokesperson Yves Van Laethem, adding that the coronavirus figures in Belgium continue to rise "alarmingly."
On Wednesday morning, Belgium recorded an average of over 5,000 new coronavirus cases per day over the past week, with a peak of more than 7,000 new cases last Friday.
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While the rise in not equally strong in all parts of the country, Belgium still wavers "between shades of red and dark red" with the strongest increase in Wallonia, according to Van Laethem, including the Walloon Brabant province, where the figures double every five days.
The number of patients admitted to hospital and those in intensive care is also growing rapidly. "At this rate, the maximum capacity of 2,000 intensive care beds could be reached by mid-November," he said, adding that such a scenario "must be avoided."
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
