It's certainly a strange time we're all having this year. Working in media means always working, but even news tends to slow down a little at the tail end of the year.
Normally. Brexit and Coronavirus, however, have made things totally different.
That means that instead of discussing Christmas markets and the like, we're talking about vaccines - and there is certainly news there. Just a few hours ago - or longer if you get to this newsletter late in the day - Belgium began vaccinating.
Starting in nursing homes across the country, Belgium is already looking at ways to adapt the distribution to get more people vaccinated faster - but that very much is a wait and see situation.
For the meantime, Jos Hermans - the first Belgian to get the vaccine - had a comment for the world on what the vaccine means to him.
Enjoy your time off - if you have any - here's the news.
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1. Coronavirus: Belgium considers single-dose vaccination strategy
Belgium is exploring a vaccine strategy in which more people would get their first coronavirus vaccinations faster than currently planned.
Belgium’s vaccination task force is looking into a scenario in which as many people as possible would get their first coronavirus vaccinations, rather than a smaller group of people receiving their second dose of the vaccine a few weeks later. Read more.
2. Belgium could reach key figure for easing coronavirus measures by February
If hospitalisations keep dropping at the current pace, Belgium could reach the key figure of 75 hospital admissions per day by mid-February, the national crisis centre said at a press conference on Monday.
That number was put forward by Belgium’s Consultative Committee as one of two target figures – the other being 800 new daily infections on average -, after which Belgium could start to relax coronavirus measures. Read More.
3. Jos Hermans (96) given Belgium’s first coronavirus vaccine
Belgium’s first coronavirus vaccine was given to 96-year-old Jos Hermans at the Sint-Pieter residential care centre in the municipality of Puurs in the Antwerp region om Monday morning. Read More.
4. Wanted: Cyclist who kneed small child out of his way on tape
Police on Sunday issued a wanted notice for a man filmed knocking a small child out of his way as he cycled on a path in the Ardennes.
In a video posted to Facebook, we see people walking on a narrow path in the snow, somewhere in the vicinity of the popular Baraque Michel. A woman is walking with a small child in a red coat, when a man on a bicycle rounds the bend and, his path blocked by the child, extends his knee to knock the child to the side allowing him to pass. Read More.
5. Pfizer vaccines delivery delayed in eight European countries
Deliveries of the Covid-19 vaccine to eight European countries, including Spain, will be slightly delayed due to a logistical problem at the Pfizer plant in Belgium, the Spanish Ministry of Health announced Monday after the launch of the EU vaccination campaign. Read More.
6. 101-year-old given first vaccine in Brussels
The first vaccine administered in the Brussels Region as part of the fight against the coronavirus epidemic was given to Lucie Danjou who, at the age of 101, is the oldest resident of the Notre-Dame de Stockel nursing home in the Brussels commune of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre. Read more.
7. Storm Bella causes 85 incidents in Brussels
Brussels’ fire brigade carried out 85 interventions linked to Storm Bella on Sunday, though no major damage was reported.
The interventions took place between midnight and 6:00 PM. Read More.
Jules Johnston
The Brussels Times
