Virus deaths rise in Belgium

BRUSSELS

The pace of new coronavirus infections seems to be slowing down over the past week, but there has been a significant rise in deaths, Belgium’s Public Health Institute Sciensano reported Friday.

According to the latest data, a daily average of 605.7 new coronavirus infections were registered between Aug. 4 and 10 in Belgium. It shows a 9% growth compared to the previous week, which confirms a slowing trend in the spread of the virus.

On Thursday, 544 new cases were diagnosed, bringing the total number of infections to 76,191. In the past two days, 16 and 15 people lost their lives to the virus respectively bringing the daily average to 5.3 cases over the past week. This is a 95% growth compared to the previous seven days, taking the tally to 9,916.

According to some explanations, the sudden increase in deaths may be linked to the heatwave the country has been experiencing since Aug. 4.

To contain a second wave, air passengers will immediately undergo a coronavirus test upon their arrival or right before they leave as of September, the Brussels Airport announced Thursday. Travelers are obliged to undergo a test and self-quarantine under the current rules.

Since appearing in China last December, the virus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions, according to figures compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Center.

More than 20.9 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with over 759,000 deaths, and over 12.9 million recovered.