70% of the entire population in Flanders has now received its first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, making the region the first in Europe to reach that threshold, according to Flemish Welfare Minister Wouter Beke.
Just let that sink in.
Now I don't know about you, but I never saw it coming.
Some of my friends in other countries got their invite weeks before I did. My family have been vaccinated for months, so I find myself wondering how Flanders ended up ahead of the pack?
As it stands, nearly 4.7 million people in Flanders (70%) have received their first dose, bringing the region close to reaching its goal of giving all adults at least one shot by 11 July.
Previously this had seemed no longer seemed feasible due to delivery issues and the age limit for the Johnson & Johnson jab at the end of May.
And while this all seems great, it's not a moment to get too excited yet.
"After Iceland and the United Kingdom, Flanders has the highest vaccination rate of all," Beke told the Flemish Parliament's Welfare Committee on Tuesday.
And considering we currently can't accept visitors from the UK because covid numbers are so bad, let's all stay calm for now.
This calls for a calm celebration and a low abv beer, all while following the rules.
hurray
So what we thinking: Ray of sunshine? Calm before the storm? Some other weather-based phrase to describe a global pandemic? Let @johnstonjules know.
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