SANTA BLAMED FOR 18 DEATHS

A VISIT to a care home by a super-spreader Santa infected with Covid-19 is believed to be the source of an outbreak that has left 18 elderly residents dead – with fears the death toll will rise.

The Father Christmas, unaware he had the coronavirus, posed happily with residents at Hemelrijck care home in the Belgian town of Mol, near Antwerp, in early December.

His visit is thought to have infected 121 residents and 36 staff, with deaths rising since.

Five residents died on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, bringing the number of victims so far to 18. The unnamed Santa later became ill himself and tested positive for the disease. Known as ‘Sinterklaas’ in Dutchspeaking northern Belgium, the festive visitor had intended only to spread Christmas cheer among the home’s 150 residents.

Managers said the Santa and his helpers were therapists who visit at other times of year.

‘We’re expecting up to ten difficult days,’ admitted the town’s mayor, Wim Caeyers.

‘Several laboratories are currently trying to determine the source of the infections but I have not yet received results. This therefore remains uncertain for the moment.’ Mr Caeyers said it was initially thought that the Santa had followed distancing rules, but photographs showed residents had not worn masks.

‘Initially they said that the rules had been followed but then straight away you receive photos from the families of residents where you can see this wasn’t the case,’ the mayor said.

He told Flemish television the visit had been ‘made with the best intent, but it went wrong’.

Jannes Verheyen of Armonea, which runs the residential facility, said: ‘The team is very shocked by what happened but that also makes them very motivated to get the virus out again.’