Belgium passes 2,000 coronavirus cases, deaths mount

Soldiers patrol central station before Belgium imposes a lockdown to slow down the spread of the coronavirus disease in Brussels. (Reuters)

• 462 new confirmed cases of the virus have been reported

BRUSSELS: The number of coronavirus cases recorded in Belgium surged past 2,000 on Friday and the number of deaths attributed to the disease COVID-19 jumped by by 16 to 37.
According to the country’s national crisis center, 462 new confirmed cases of the virus have been reported, bringing the total to 2,257 in a country of 11.4 million people.