Another 78 corona deaths in Belgium, 867 patients in intensive care now
The daily update on the corona statistics for Belgium proves we still haven't reached the peak of this epidemic: 629 people were taken to hospital in the past 24 hours, while the death toll rises to 431. The good news is that 296 patients were discharged from hospital, the highest number so far.
- 629 patients were taken to hospital in 24 hours' time. This number is up on the day, and brings the total number to 4,138. However, the good news is that as many as 296 people were allowed to leave hospital. "We should also underline this figure", Health Minister Maggie De Block said. The total number of patients allowed to leave hospital climbed to 1,359 and offers a window of hope. Still, as the number of patients in hospitals keeps rising, this shows that the epidemic is still gaining ground. "But it could have been much worse if we hadn't taken measures: it's growing, but not exponentially."
- 867 patients are now fighting for their lives in intensive care wardens. Belgium still has enough capacity to cope, for the moment: the number of places available is about 2,000. The rise is a little bit down on the day: 78 compared to 99 yesterday.
- 1,702 people tested positive for Covid-19. A milestone has now been passed, as this brings the total number of infections to 10,836. However, this figure does not reflect the real number of infections, as many people are not being tested, e.g. when they only show light symptoms. In reality, the number of infections is a lot higher. Test capacity should rise as from tomorrow.
- The death toll has risen to 431 after 78 new deaths. This number is up on the day, but reporting can sometimes take a couple of days. Meanwhile, experts repeat that it is not OAP's who succumb: "A large majority is 65+, but a significant part of the victims is also aged between 45 and 64. And a couple of deaths were also reported in the 25 to 44 age category."