Nearly 2,500 new coronavirus cases were registered in Belgium over the past 24 hours, health authorities announced on Wednesday.
The Federal Public Service of Health’s data showed 2,454 more cases have pushed the country’s total to 33,573.
However, officials clarified that only 617 of the latest cases are new, as the remaining 1,837 are final results from more than 10,000 tests conducted at elder care homes since April 10.
STRONG INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CASES
Officials said 250 coronavirus patients were admitted for treatment, confirming a drop in the number of hospitalizations in the country. “After a strong increase in the number of cases, we see a tendency towards a slow but real decrease,” Emmanuel Andre, the federal spokesperson for coronavirus-related issues, told a news conference.
Belgium’s National Security Council is expected to decide later on Wednesday whether the existing lockdown measures will be extended beyond an April 19 deadline.
There have been strict restrictions on public life in the country for over a month now. People are only allowed to leave their homes to buy food or medicine, visit a doctor, help someone in need, or go to their workplace if working from home is not an option.