At least 26 residents of a Belgian nursing home have died from the visit of a volunteer dressed as Santa Claus, who has since tested positive for COVID-19. A Flemish health official told AFP on Thursday that he was not yet sure that the visitor had brought the coronavirus to the Hemelrijck house in Mol on December 5th.
But 26 residents died from the visit and another 85 tested positive for coronavirus, along with 40 employees.
The outbreak was detected a few days after the visit, and prominent virologist Marc Van Ranst reported on Twitter that most infections come from the same source.
The white-bearded figure Sinterklaas, dressed in red, the equivalent of Santa Claus in the English-speaking world, brings gifts to the Belgians every December 6th.
Photo by ERIC LALMAND / BELGA / AFP by Getty Images
However, this year’s festivities were clouded by the coronavirus pandemic, which hit Belgium particularly hard, especially in its nursing homes.
No investigation has been launched in the absence of a formal complaint, said regional health spokesperson Joris Moonens, and there is no suggestion that the volunteer knew he was infected.
But for Hemelrijck, a crisis manager was appointed – which housed 169 people before the COVID outbreak – to help staff, residents and relatives cope “during this difficult time”.
Belgium has one of the highest per capita coronary mortality rates in the world and more than half of those who died – 11,066 people – were residents of retirement homes.