Gap in corona deaths between Brussels and other Belgian regions is growing
The Brussels Region has a higher corona death rate than Belgium's other regions. In fact, the gap has been widening for several weeks now. This is probably due to the lower vaccination rate.
The number of fatalities as a result of coronavirus in Brussels has been relatively higher in Brussels for some weeks now. This is more than probably the result of the lower vaccination rate.
During the peaks of the pandemic, Brussels always had a higher fatality rate. This was probably the result of more poverty and more people living together on a smaller surface, experts think.
"However, looking at the figures since early August, we see that the gap is widening. In Flanders, the number of fatalities remains stable while in Brussels we are seeing the start of a fourth wave. The lower vaccination rate is probably the cause of this", says the VRT's science journalist Koen Wauters. "In early August, only 54 percent of the Brussels population had been vaccinated, compared to 77 percent in Flanders. The consequences can now be seen in the death rate."
The Brussels minister Elke Van den Brandt told the VRT that "the figures confirm what we knew about Brussels. It's a hard reality, but our main challenge remains to lift the vaccination rate. We are vaccinating in schools now, and are encouraging parents. It's a big job."
The graph below shows the accumulating number of Covid deaths in each region per 100,000 inhabitants since the start of the year.