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The visit left 157 people, including 36 employees, at the Hemelrijck nursing home in the municipality of Mol, city of Antwerp, infected with Covid-19.
The above-mentioned series of photos of Santa and his companion were first shared two weeks ago and since then, the number of people infected and killed by Covid-19 at the Hemelrijck nursing home has increased, causing it to call. is “super contagious Santa Claus”.
Another 5 people died and at least one person had to help breathe in 2 days on December 25 and 26.
Previously, the aforementioned Santa Claus was feeling ill and positive for Covid-19 3 days after the visit, forcing health officials to launch a test campaign at the Hemelrijck nursing home.
Santa Claus and his companions during a visit to the Hemelrijck nursing home. Photo: VRT
Mayor Mol Wim Caeyers stated that this was a dark event, which caused great emotional pressure on the person playing Santa Claus, as well as the visiting team and the nursing home.
“Initially, the Hemelrijck Nursing Home confirmed that the rules against the epidemic were being followed. However, as soon as we receive photos of the families of the residents of the nursing home, we can see this statement. It is incorrect” – stated the mayor Caeyers, while calling the Hemelrijck nursing home “an irresponsible organization.”
A spokesman for Armonea, the Hemelrijck nursing home management company, in a later statement said they were “shocked by the incident” and will work to fix the consequences.
Meanwhile, Marc Van Ranst, one of Belgium’s leading infectious disease experts, expressed skepticism about how contagious the person who played Santa Claus could be.
“Even a super infectious person can hardly cause so many cases at the same time,” Ranst said, while the cause is more likely to be a poor ventilation system.
Even so, the expert stressed that Santa’s visit during the pandemic was “a stupid idea.”
The photo shows that Santa Claus and his companion do not adhere to the minimum social distance of 2 m. Photo: VRT
In Australia, health officials announced on December 27 that the number of new outbreak cases in Sydney’s Northern Beaches area rose to 122 cases.
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said there were seven new infections on the night of December 26, of which six were related to the new outbreak. The origin of the cluster is under investigation.
Some 250,000 residents of the northern beaches have been asked to stay home, except where they need medical attention and food. As part of the restraining order that is expected to last until at least December 30, they are also not allowed to invite guests into their homes.
Some 250,000 residents of Northern Beaches, Sydney, Australia have been asked to stay home. Photo: Reuters
Europe has started its immunization program
On December 27, Europe launched an unprecedented large-scale cross-border vaccination program for Covid-19 aimed at ending the pandemic, which has claimed the lives of more than 1.7 million people around the world.
According to the ReutersEurope has contracted with many vaccine suppliers to purchase more than 2 billion doses to meet the goal of vaccinating all adults in the region by 2021.
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