Belgium Live Updates

• Health authorities in Belgium have reported 303 more deaths from coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the country’s total death toll from the outbreak to 3,903.
• According to the daily situation report published by Belgium’s Sciensano health institute, in the past day, 942 more confirmed cases of coronavirus were detected, with 310 people suffering from COVID-19 admitted to hospital, while 239 left the hospital.
• Overall, 5,393 hospital beds were occupied by coronavirus patients, 1,234 of whom were in intensive care. Since the start of its outbreak, Belgium has recorded 30,589 cases of coronavirus.
•  The total number of deaths in Belgium since the beginning of the pandemic to 705, of which 93% of people were older than 65.
• On 31 March, a 12-year-old girl has died. She had tested positive for the coronavirus.
•  As the country faced the announcement on Friday of another two weeks of strict restrictions, many have been anticipating the possibility of a second extension from 19 April to 3 May.
• Belgium is aiming to significantly boost its capacity to test patients for coronavirus to 10,000 per day, up from the current 2,000.
• Brussels Health Minister Alain Maron has gone into in self-isolation with a suspected case of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), the minister confirmed Tuesday.
• The donation including 800 ventilators and 300,000 mouth masks and 300,000 protective hospital gowns is one of several made by the foundations of Chinese businessman Jack Ma, owner of the e-commerce giant Alibaba.