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Corona madness in neighboring Germany just averted - what we can learn from them

2020-11-22T15:29:08.882Z


Full hospitals, record numbers of infections and a second lockdown: Belgium had been particularly hard hit in recent months. But now the worst seems to be over. What we can learn from them.


Full hospitals, record numbers of infections and a second lockdown: Belgium had been particularly hard hit in recent months.

But now the worst seems to be over.

What we can learn from them.

  • Belgium

    recorded a high of almost 24,000

    new

    Corona *

    infections

    in one day

    in October

    .

  • The

    lockdown

    followed at the beginning of November

    .

  • The

    numbers

    have now

    stabilized

    , and one

    measure in

    particular

    has contributed to this.

Brussels - The "

tsunami

" and

loss of control

seem to have been overcome.

Belgium counted in the

second wave *

among the

countries

most severely affected by the

Corona *

pandemic

.

At its peak in late October, the country recorded a daily infection rate of

23,921 people a day

.

Numbers as currently in Germany.

But Belgium has just under 11.5 million inhabitants compared to Germany's 80 million inhabitants.

The country was on the

verge of collapse

and the health system was overwhelmed.

The health minister warned of a "tsunami".

Corona in Belgium: emergency brake and lockdown - can we learn from our neighbors?

And then?

The government pulled the

emergency brake

:

lockdown

.

Shops had to close, supermarkets were only allowed to offer products of daily use, the autumn holidays were extended, the closure of pubs, restaurants and cafes and night curfews had already been in effect.

"We should have responded earlier,"

says the Belgian virologist van


Gucht now.

But it was

difficult

to convince

the

population

of the urgency of a

lockdown

.

One measure that helped to contain the pandemic in Belgium, among other things, was the so-called

"cuddle contacts".

What sounds cute has a serious background.

Every citizen should only have one permanent contact.

The number of infections in Belgium is currently only around 3,200 infections

per

day

(as of

November

21)

.

The country seems to have turned around.

From 11 p.m. back to 3,000 infections.

So can we Germans learn from our neighbors?

The federal government also wants to discuss new measures on Wednesday.

However, the

“one-friend rule”

has come under severe criticism from some German politicians.

SPD MP Dreyer described them as "alien to life".

Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier was recently impressed by the

successes of Belgium

, but also France and the Netherlands.

He

also attributed the

decline in the number of infections

“to the

great discipline of the citizens

in these countries”.

.

@peteraltmaier is hoping for courageous decisions from the next federal-state meeting: The economy and all those involved need clarity.

In the event of an extension of the lockdown, he holds out the prospect of further #business aid.

@DLF #interviewderwoche https://t.co/ZwxVbL3bVS

- BMWi Bund (@BMWi_Bund) November 22, 2020

Corona in Belgium: has the pandemic really been overcome?

- Virologist warns - appeal also addressed to Germany

Has Belgium managed to turn around completely?

A harmless winter is not ahead of the neighboring country.

Virologist van Gucht

warns

-

also in the direction of Germany

.

“I understand that people want to relax after a difficult year.” However, a

hasty relaxation of

the contact restrictions over Christmas and New Year carries the

risk of

a

third wave

.

People who are

infected over the Christmas *

, in turn, could

other New Year's Eve

with the virus

infected

.

The

virologist is also rather critical of

skiing holidays

.

“Meet, kiss, dance”: This is the ideal breeding ground for the spread of a virus *, experience with the flu virus also shows.

The pandemic is not over yet

.

Not in Germany and not in Belgium.

The health system in Belgium remains under heavy strain.

"I think

we are facing difficult times,

" says a nurse who works on a corona ward herself.

The

nursing staff is "tired"

and therefore more susceptible to illnesses.

During the peak phase in Belgium, nurses had to go to work despite the corona infection *.

Many companies are also facing bankruptcy.

"This pandemic feels surreal, even for a virologist,"

said van Gucht.

(chd with dpa)

List of rubric lists: © Ophelie Delarouzee / BELGA / dpa

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2020-11-22

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