Belgium’s oldest resident, Julia Van Hool (111), died last night in hospital in Lier, Antwerp, where she was admitted for a blood transfusion earlier this week.
In January of this year, Van Hool tested positive for the coronavirus, but she did not show any serious symptoms and was feeling fine, her daughter told local media.
In a Facebook post, the acting mayor of Lier, Rik Verwaest, paid tribute to Van Hool, who he described as "a tough woman with an indestructible mind and body, on whom time seemed to have no hold."
"Two world wars and even the coronavirus did not get the better of her," Verwaest said. "She is now peacefully sleeping, looking forward to seeing all the loved ones she had survived for so long. Your long journey is over now, Julia. Lier will never forget you."
According to him, Van Hool was looking forward to breaking the Belgian age record, which is held by Joanna Turcksin from Machelen, who lived to be 112 years and 186 days, and died in 2002.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
