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Belgian authorities are investigating a visit by Santa to a nursing home as a possible mass spread Covid-19 event after 75 residents and staff tested positive in the wake of the holiday event.
A man dressed as Saint Nicholas visited the nursing home to cheer on residents and hand out gifts, a “Sinterklaas” tradition that was widely canceled or moved online across the country due to the pandemic.
“The man did not feel ill at the time of the visit, but according to the results of the tests, he turned out to be infected and even super contagious,” said local mayor, Wim Caeyers, in a statement.
Since the visit to the Hemelrijck nursing home in Mol, Antwerp province, 61 residents and 14 employees have tested positive for the disease, according to the local council.
He condemned the management of the nursing home as “totally irresponsible” after photographs of the event surfaced showing Saint Nicholas not maintaining an adequate distance from the residents, who were not wearing masks, causing consternation among relatives.
‘It seemed harmless’
A resident who was already in palliative care before testing positive has died. Another with severe symptoms is receiving respiratory therapy, while several others are suffering from a fever, the city council said.
“This issue immediately highlights the personal dilemma everyone faces at the end of the year celebrations. As the son of a resident, St Nicholas was a trusted person for the residential care facility, so he seemed harmless, ”Caeyers said. “Hopefully each of us will make the right decisions in the coming weeks.”
A spokesperson for the nursing home management company Armonea said Santa only visited the common spaces and did not go from room to room in the nursing home, contrary to previous reports.
“A nursing home volunteer dressed as St Nicholas likely caused infections within the facility,” said a spokesman. “During this visit, of course, Saint Nicholas always kept his mask on.”
Body count
Definitive proof of whether Santa was the source of the infections requires “in-depth scientific investigation,” according to the city council.
About 64 percent of Covid-19 deaths in Belgium in the first wave were nursing home residents, many of whom never received hospital treatment, contributing to one of the worst death figures from the disease in the world. world.
Infections are now on the rise again in the country after curfew and the closure of bars and restaurants helped slow the rise of the coronavirus in the fall.
In neighboring Netherlands, the government is expected to impose a “strict” lockdown for the first time closing all non-essential stores until January 19, along with schools and most contact businesses, after infections they rose 50 percent in one week with nearly 10,000 new cases registered on Sunday alone.
The Dutch government has resisted strict closures in the past, choosing to keep stores open and rely on distancing advice on bans, but has been forced to act due to increased cases and pressure on hospitals.
