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  • "Belgium as a country was severely affected by the COVID pandemic. The country has had two periods of 'lockdown' so far. A first lockdown took effect on 18 March 2020 and lasted for about four months. Linked to the second wave of infections, a second lockdown was installed on 19 October 2020. This second lockdown continues to date. After the first national lockdown in Belgium, at the end of March 2020, an article appeared in the New York Times1 on 8 August 2020 entitled 'When COVID-19 hit many elderly were left to die'. This article discussed the very high death rates of older people in Belgium and, more specifically, of older citizens staying in collective residential care centres. The article exposed not only high mortality rates, but also the uneven fight against the disease in residential care centres that suffered from a shortage of protective equipment, such as masks, hygienic aprons and gloves, oxygen and COVID-19 test kits. Most of the staff were also untrained to deal with an infectious disease outbreak. In addition, a picture was given of the first months of the pandemic, in which older people were not always admitted to intensive care, even though the potential of intensive care beds was not fully used yet. The exhausting struggle of the health workers in our residential homes became clear: many were also infected, and some went into quarantine together with their residents. At many places, Médecins sans Frontières and the Belgian Army were asked to assist. The family members of those staying in the residential care centres were not allowed to visit their parents or grandparents for a long time; some older people had to die alone, without family / friends being present. The same article outlined the great fragmentation of responsibilities of the Belgian state structure. At a certain moment, nine different Ministers responsible for healthcare had to consult with each other and were expected to enter into discussion with six different parliaments to democratically assess their political decisions."

Last update from database: 19.12.25, 04:00 (UTC)

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