Dozens of residents at a Belgian nursing home have reportedly died of coronavirus since a volunteer Santa Claus who visited the unit tested positive for the disease.
St. Nicholas visited the Hemelrijck house in Mol on December 5 in an event organized by the facility’s management, and days later, many residents began to show symptoms of COVID-19, The Guardian reported.
In addition to 26 deaths, another 85 residents and 40 staff members tested positive for the virus, the report said.
The municipality of Mols provoked the event after photos appeared showing that the inhabitants were without masks.
“We deeply regret that, after looking at several photos, we have to conclude that this goes much further than an error,” Mols said in a statement to The Guardian.
“It simply came to our notice then. We would never have approved this “, said the municipality.
The cause of the outbreak is uncertain and no formal investigation has been launched, the report said.