By the end of the year, Belgium will have spent €31.5 billion to manage the coronavirus crisis, according to De Morgen who published the calculation on Tuesday.
Twelve months after the start of the pandemic, the virus is still weighing on the economic health and finances of the state. Belgium spent a total of €21 billion last year to fight the coronavirus (Covid-19) at the federal and state levels.
This year, these governments have put another €10.5 billion on the table. By the end of the year, the figure should therefore rise to €31.5 billion.
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The largest item of expenditure is economic unemployment, which cost €4 billion last year and is expected to cost a further €1.2 billion this year.
The so-called bridge right - a financial subsidy which allows the self-employed to maintain their social rights without having to pay social contributions - has taken up €3.3 billion in 2020, while healthcare costs have risen by €2 billion.
On the vaccination campaign, the federal government has spent €525 million - a much lower number in comparison.
The Brussels Times
