BRUSSELS, April 15. /TASS/. Belgium recorded 2,454 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, which is an all-time daily high, the country’s Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
According to the ministry, the increasing number of coronavirus tests, particularly conducted in nursing homes, is the reason behind the rise in new cases.
A total of 33,573 coronavirus cases have been identified in the country so far, the death toll has reached 4,440. As many as 5,524 patients remain hospitalized, 1,204 of whom are in intensive care.
On March 14, Belgium imposed a nationwide lockdown until April 5. On March 27, the country’s authorities extended the lockdown until April 19, adding that it could be extended further until May 3. All educational, cultural and public facilities have been closed in the country, schools and universities have moved to remote learning. All public events have been banned, private businesses have been recommended to shift their employees to telecommuting. In addition, Belgian authorities issued a nationwide travel ban, allowing people to move only within their region of residence. It is also mandatory to observe social distancing.
Coronavirus pandemic
In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. According to the latest statistics, over 2,000,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 126,800 deaths have been reported.