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At least 26 residents of a Belgian nursing home died of covi-19 and dozens more were infected after a volunteer dressed as Santa Claus distributed gifts.
At least 26 residents of a Belgian retirement home have died since the visit of a volunteer dressed as Santa Claus. The volunteer has since tested positive for covid-19, Belgian media reported on Thursday.
A Flemish health official told AFP news agency that he is not sure if it was the visitor who brought the virus to the home in Hemelrijck on December 5.
But the visit of the infected Santa Claus was followed by 26 deaths and 85 residents tested positive, along with 40 employees.
The outbreak was detected a few days after the visit, and virologists say those infected came from the same source.
Santa didn’t know he was infected
The white-bearded, red-robed figure of Sinterklaas, the equivalent of Santa Claus in the English-speaking world, traditionally brings gifts to Belgians on December 6.
But this year’s festivities were muted. Belgium is one of the countries in Europe that has been most affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Nursing homes were vectors of the virus and more than half of the deceased, comprising 11,066 people, were nursing home residents.
A regional health spokesperson said there is no indication the volunteer knew he was infected with COVID-19 when he arrived at the home.
