252 additional people have tested positive for the new coronavirus (Covid-19) in Belgium in the last 24 hours, confirmed the federal public health ministry on Thursday.
This brings the total number of cases in Belgium since the beginning of the pandemic to 56,235. The total reflects all people in Belgium who have been infected, and includes confirmed active cases as well as patients who have since recovered, or died from the consequences of the virus.
175 of the newly-infected people live in Flanders, 56 live in Wallonia, and 21 live in Brussels.
71 new patients were admitted to hospital in the last 24 hours, and 141 were discharged. The total number of people in hospital because of the coronavirus at the moment is 1,448.
Of the patients in hospital, 277 are in the intensive care unit, 36 fewer than yesterday.
48 new deaths have been reported, bringing the total number of people who died because of the coronavirus to 9,186.
Of the new fatalities, 21 took place in hospital and 16 in care homes. Of the total number of deaths, 48% took place in hospital, 51% in a care home and only 0.7% elsewhere, including the patient’s own home.
Deaths in hospital are all confirmed Covid-19 cases, while those in care homes in the last 24 hours were 94% confirmed by test.
That shows the growth of testing in care homes. Over the whole period of the pandemic in Belgium, only 24% of care home deaths have been able to be confirmed by test, but the figure is now much higher.
Alan Hope
The Brussels Times
