News and Events -----------

The Virtual Brussels Folk Club project is the brainchild of John Smillie and his stalwart team who invited a merry band of BFC performers to submit material at very short notice. Special thanks to Olivier Buckley’s father, David, for stitching this together and doing some editing.

As John says: "It isn’t perfect. This has been a steep learning curve, against the clock. There is a lip sync issue with all my introductions and some of the performances. However, we don’t know how to fix this and a lot of work has gone into it to get it to this point, and so what we cannot fix, we live with."

Many of his closest friends admit that John’s lips often start to move before his brain has properly engaged. So no change there, then.

John also points out that he was recorded using a Huawei phone, and all data needs to go to Beijing, and then GCHQ, for approval before release which may also account for the digital delay and sync issues.

In any case, he and the team are proud to bring you the first ever Virtual Brussels Folk Club.

John says: "If we ever do another, we will make the “shows” shorter, perhaps 30 minutes total. However, it has been interesting and hopefully people will accept it in the spirit in which it has been made." We look forward to it!

We wish you all a safe, sane and musical Happy Easter!

COVID-19 selected news snippets for Easter Monday, 13 April 2020.

Sciensano update of 13 April. 942 new confirmed cases have been reported in the last 24 hours of which 113 (12%) were in Brussels. To date, a total of 30,589 confirmed cases have been reported in Belgium with 3,247 (11%) cases being in Brussels.

In the past 24 hours, 310 patients with COVID-19 have been hospitalized and 239 people left hospital. Between March 15 and April 12, 11,480 patients with COVID-19 have entered the hospital and 6,707 have left hospital.

303 new deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours with 29 (10%) of these in Brussels. To date, a total of 3,903 deaths have been reported in Belgium with 608 (16%) in Brussels.

In terms of the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 and those in intensive care, the daily numbers have clearly ‘plateaued’ and are, hopefully, on a slow decline (see below).

Read the full daily report (in French) here.

Bruxelles-Propreté has announced that from today (13 April) collections of blue and yellow rubbish bags will recommence.

Following further reorganisation of collections, taking into account lock-down constraints, Bruxelles-Propreté will be able to collect most of the blue and yellow bags again. Collections will be on the usual days for collection, but may be later in the day than usual. More information here.

Useful Links

Federal Government COVID-19 information

The Bulletin's COVID-19 webpage (updated daily)

COVID-19 selected news for Saturday, 11 April 2020.

Sciensano update of 11 April. 1,351 new confirmed cases have been reported in Belgium in the past 24 hours of which 149 (11%) were in Brussels. To date, a total of 28,018 confirmed cases have been reported with 2,991 (11%) of these being in Brussels.

In the past 24 hours, 421 patients with COVID-19 have been hospitalized and 418 people left hospital. Between March 15 and April 10, a total of 10,777 patients with COVID-19 have entered hospital and 5,986 people have left.

327 new deaths have been reported in Belgium in the past 24 hours, of which 70 (21%) were in the Brussels region. To date, a total of 3,346 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported including 538 (16%) in Brussels.

Read the full daily report (in French) here.

Useful Links

Federal Government COVID-19 information

The Bulletin's COVID-19 webpage (updated daily)

COVID-19 selected news snippets and two infographics for Good Friday, 10 April 2020.

Sciensano update of 10 April. 1,684 new confirmed cases have been reported in the past 24 hours, of which 178 (11%) were in Brussels. To date, a total of 26,667 confirmed cases have been reported in Belgium including 2,842 (11%) cases in Brussels. In the past 24 hours, 462 patients with COVID-19 have been hospitalized and 404 people left the hospital. Between March 15 and April 9, 10,356 patients with COVID-19 have entered hospital and 5,568 people have left. 325 new deaths from COVID-19 have been reported in the past 24 hours with 58 (18%) of these being in Brussels. To date, a total of 3,019 deaths have been reported in Belgium of which 468 (16%) were in Brussels. Read the full daily report (in French) here.

Our first infographic is from those good people at PintofScience Belgium who have collated on one infographic a range of initiatives in Brussels supporting efforts to combat COVID-19 that you can volunteer with or donate to. You can download a hi-res version here which has clickable links.

The second infographic is from Compound Interest and gives you some useful information on how current and future tests for COVID-19 work and related issues.

Happy Easter!

Useful Links

Federal Government COVID-19 information

The Bulletin's COVID-19 webpage (updated daily)

COVID-19 selected news snippets for Thursday 9 April 2020.

Sciensano COVID-19 update of 9 April. 1,580 new confirmed cases have been reported in the past 24 hours of which 149 (9%) were in Brussels. To date, a total of 24,983 confirmed cases have been reported with 2,664 (11%) in Brussels. 459 patients with COVID-19 have been hospitalized in the past 24 hours and 483 people discharged. Between 15 March and 8 April 9,894 patients with COVID-19 were admitted to hospital and 5,164 people were discharged. 283 new deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours. At the close of this report, a total of 2,523 deaths have been notified of which 410 (16.2%) were in Brussels. Full report here.

The National Security Council will meet next week to decide whether containment measures will be extended until May 3.

Belgian WHO Europe Director Kluge described the situation in Europe as 'very worrying' and emphasised that the positive developments in some countries do not mean that the virus has been defeated. "It would be dangerous to think we are approaching the end," said Kluge.

Interior Minister Pieter De Crem says police may in some cases enter a home to stop a lockdown party.

Wallonia, Brussels and Flanders have asked for help from the army in residential care centres. Since Tuesday, Belgian army medical personnel have been present in a residential care centres in Jette.

The intensive care units in the Belgian hospitals still have enough beds, but are not yet ready for a new influx of corona patients should containment measures be weakened.

Hydroxychloroquine is already being given to some patients. It has been shown in the laboratory that it has an anti-inflammatory action and that it reduces the production of viruses. “We have done this empirically in crisis times, counting on the fact that even if there is no benefit for the patient, that person’s viral load was going to decrease, which also helped to protect the nursing staff," Erasme Hospital doctor Jean-Christophe Goffard said.

Municipality of Saint-Josse plans to distribute reusable masks to residents.

Disinfectant gel production capacity has increased by one million litres with the help of the Belgian chemical, pharmaceutical and food companies.

The Brussels regional government has decided to grant a single bonus of EUR 4000 for establishments forced to close. Other measures are under consideration.

The European Commission wants to keep the external borders of the European Union closed for longer to curb the spread of the corona virus. It proposes to extend the ban on non-essential travel to the EU until May 15.

Prisoners in Belgium have already produced 27,350 masks since the outbreak of the new coronavirus. 17,500 of these masks were intended for the penitentiary institutions themselves. In addition, 6,500 masks were handed over to care organisation Child and Family, 1,000 to the Immigration Office, 3,500 to the courts, 2,000 to the FPS Finance and the European Parliament also placed an order.

In the frozen food department in supermarkets, fries, croquettes and duchess potatoes are wildly successful. Sales of fresh potatoes also increased dramatically during containment. It is therefore undeniable: the potato remains staple food for the Belgian consumer.

The interchange between the E40 and the R0 from Louvain to Woluwe-Saint-Etienne on the Brussels ring will be closed on weekdays between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. for three weeks from April 13.

Useful Links

Federal Government COVID-19 information

The Bulletin's COVID-19 webpage (updated daily)

COVID-19 selected news snippets for Wednesday 8 April 2020.

On Wednesday 8 April, Belgium had 23,403 known cases of coronavirus - an increase of 1,209 in the past day (548 in Wallonia, 544 in Flanders, 101 in Brussels and 16 unknown). There are 5,688 people currently in hospital - a decrease of more than 300 in the past day. Among those in hospital, 1,276 are in intensive care. Over the past 24 hours, 487 patients have been admitted to hospital and 524 discharged. Since the outbreak began, 2,240 people have died - an increase of 205 in the past day. Some 4,681 people have made a full recovery from coronavirus since the outbreak began.

The number of reported deaths from COVID-19 in Belgium may make some significant leaps in the coming days. In its daily report on Tuesday, Sciensano, the federal research centre, points out that 'a significant number of deaths in residential care centres in Flanders' before 1 April were not included in the data. These are now being added systematically from 6 April. Deaths in residential care centres in Brussels and Wallonia are already recorded in the data.

“If the [current] trend continues for the rest of the week, we will be over the peak,” virologist Marc Van Ranst is cautiously positive about the most recent figures. The number of hospital admissions has been falling for several days. Van Ranst does not want to confirm this with certainty, although he is hopeful.

Inhabitants of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert are being encouraged to wear masks on the street.

1.25 million people are currently in the system of temporary unemployment in Belgium. That is a record number – amounting to almost one-third of the total number of active workers and employees.

Supermarkets Lidl and Colruyt reach agreement on corona compensations, Lidl staff receives additional holidays, Colruyt’s extra leave, premiums and compensation in the form of meal vouchers.

Limburg postpones provincial taxes for families and companies.

Given the reduced car traffic on the Brussels roads following the containment measures, Bruxelles Mobilité is making adaptations to the traffic lights, in order to allow cyclists and pedestrians to wait less at certain crossroads.

Useful Links

Federal Government COVID-19 information

The Bulletin's COVID-19 webpage (updated daily)

COVID-19 selected news snippets for Tuesday 7 April 2020.

A proposed strike at Bruxelles Propreté is not expected to have significant impact on regular household waste collections. However, there will be no collections of yellow or blue recycling bags this week - you should keep them in your home if possible. If this isn't possible, they can be collected at the same time as regular household waste (white bags). The blue and yellow rounds have been cancelled to ensure available staff can focus on white, green and orange bags (household, garden and food waste).

Last week Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès announced the creation of a new expert group to deal with the gradual relaxation of COVID-19 measures. The group will consist of ten experts, including Marc van Ranst (KU Leuven) and Pierre Wunsh (Governor National Bank). Virologist Erika Vlieghe will chair the group.

Thanks to the new Flemish 'Help the helpers' platform, healthcare institutions can now search for volunteers in a fast and targeted manner. Both healthcare institutions and volunteers, with and without a medical background, can register directly on the website. 

A possible drug against COVID-19 might be available and cheap: blood plasma. From 15 April, the Red Cross will collect plasma from cured corona patients, which they will then make available for scientific research. All confirmed male patients with COVID-19 can register through an online tool.

Banks are increasing the limits for contactless payments soon to EUR 50, reports banking federation Febelfin.

Brussels Airlines will keep its aircraft on the ground until 15 May.

Interior Minister Pieter De Crem announced that the National Security Council (CNS) will soon confirm the cancellation of major summer festivals, including Tomorrowland and Rock Werchter. Brussels festivals Couleur Café and the Brussels Summer Festival have no plans to cancel as yet.

Useful Links

Federal Government COVID-19 information

The Bulletin's COVID-19 webpage (updated daily)

COVID-19 selected news snippets for Monday 6 April 2020.

Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès has asked Belgian residents to continue their efforts. “Experts agree that the measures we have taken have an impact on the evolution of the spread of the disease.”

The testing capacity in Belgium can be increased to 10,000 tests per day, reports Minister Philippe De Backer, who heads the testing taskforce.

Steven Van Gucht, chairman of the Scientific Corona Committee, says it is “encouraging that the number of new recordings is stabilising. There is hope that the number of new admissions will decrease further this week. More than 1,000 beds are available in intensive care, I think we can handle this."

The University of Liège (ULiège) has developed an automated test for the detection of the new coronavirus. The test means that 2,000 extra tests can be performed daily in Liège. ULiège becomes one of the five detection reference centres, alongside GSK, UCB, Janssen Pharmaceutica and KU Leuven.

According to Test-Achats, the prices in the supermarkets have risen during the corona crisis. The prices rose especially at Carrefour Hyper (+ 5%) and Colruyt (+ 6.6%).

On Friday, 3 April, Belgium authorities announced that entry and exit checks have been reintroduced in order to prevent people from taking part in non-essential travel amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Ministry of the Interior has announced that all travellers to Belgium will be expected to carry a Belgium ID card or a letter from their employer to prove that their travel is essential. Individuals attempting to travel for non-essential purposes will be denied entry.

The Flemish Family Association and its French-language counterpart Ligue des Familles want parents for whom the combination of work and children becomes unsustainable to be able to apply for exceptional leave. 'We ask for a solution in the form of temporary leave for parents of children under 12 or children with special care needs. This leave could take the form of extra, more flexible and better paid parental leave, or a specific benefit from health insurance, such as in France and Luxembourg. "

Useful Links

Federal Government COVID-19 information

The Bulletin's COVID-19 webpage (updated daily)

COVID-19 selected news snippets for Friday 3 April 2020.

Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès has announced that: “a high-level group will be formed to prepare for gradual ‘deconfinement’ with a "gradual" reopening of public life over several months. "We have to start working on a scenario now," she said. "This committee will be chaired by a person from the scientific world, because health will always come first."

Belgium is making EUR 5 million available for the development of a vaccine against the corona virus, said Minister of Finance and Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo.

Virologist Steven Van Gucht referred to the high demand for mouth masks: "Our advice remains the same: keep your distance, wash your hands with soap and water. Masks add little to that. They do make sense for people who cannot keep a distance, and I refer to our caregivers.”

Brussels Iris network hospitals have reached 90% of its capacity for intensive care.

Brussels Airlines needs a substantial cash injection. The company originally requested EUR 200 million at the start of the corona crisis, but that has been overtaken by events being based on the assumption that the crisis would end in April and that air traffic would resume swiftly. A group of experts tasked with rescuing large Belgian companies as a result of the corona crisis is urgently considering Brussels Airlines. Renationalisation of the airline is also on the table.

Buses, trains and trams are virtually empty in Belgium: on the railways barely 5% of seats are occupied. The number of travellers on De Lijn has also plummeted with an occupancy rate of about 10%. The Brussels STIB transport company sees slightly more travellers on its buses, trams and metros with an occupancy rate of about 15%.

Six out of ten French-speaking entrepreneurs have completely ceased their activities following the containment measures, according to the quarterly barometer of the Union of the middle classes (UCM) carried out at the end of March among 3,600 freelancers and SME managers.

And finally, some lighter news, 60 Belgian artists have (re)covered “We Are the World” in tribute to nursing and medical staff.

Useful Links

Federal Government COVID-19 information

The Bulletin's COVID-19 webpage (updated daily)

Calling all quizzers! As many of you know, UNICEF Belgium holds a regular and highly successful Quiz Evening to raise funds for the charity. However, due to the COVID–19 pandemic, these evenings are suspended and it is not clear when they will be resumed.

So to help keep us all amused and to raise some funds for UNICEF during this hiatus, quiz supremo Stuart Cummings has compiled a 20-question anagram quiz based on one-word film titles. Some lateral thinking will be necessary!

How to pay

To participate in the quiz a minimum EUR 5 entry fee is requested (more would be wonderful) that will be used to support UNICEF activities at this difficult time.

Entry fee is by bank transfer to either:

Stuart Cummings, BE18 3100 3358 9065, BIC BBRUBEBB who will collate the entry fees received and make a one-time payment to UNICEF or,

Direct to UNICEF BE83 3630 2680 8315, BIC BBRUBEBB

When making a transfer, please include your name (as entered on your answer sheet) and the reference UNICEF QUIZ APRIL

How to play

You can down load the Quiz sheet here: 

UNICEF Anagrams of One-word Film Titles.docx

The quiz comprises 20 one-word film titles and the number of letters in the answer is indicated in bold. The two subsequent clues need to be solved correctly to give the letters that make up the anagram. The number in parentheses after each clue indicates the number of letters corresponding to the clue.

On the question and answer sheet, please indicate your name, nickname (optional) and email address to enable tracking and reporting back to all participants.

Completed entries should be emailed to the following UNICEF address that has been set up specifically for the quiz - UNICEFquiz@gmail.com - to arrive no later than midnight CEST on 19 April. Even if you are unable to answer all of the questions, please submit your entry and make a donation!

In the event that two or more players are tied on the number of correct anagram answers, the tie-break question will come into play. For the tie-break question you are asked to estimate the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the USA at midnight CEST on 24 April. Data from the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) website will be used for the tie-break.

All answers will be provided and the winner will be announced on 25 April. As well as receiving the accolade of “Film Title Anagram Quiz Champion”, the winner will also receive four bottles of Petit Pas Saint Emilion Grand Cru donated by Stuart!

We hope you will enjoy the quiz and be generous in donating to the UNICEF cause.