Santa Claus spread more than good cheer at a hospital in Belgium – at least 75 people have been infected with COVID-19 since his arrival, according to local television.
After a visit to the Hemelrijk care home in Antwerp a week ago, officials told VRT that one of the first people to fall ill was St. Nick, a 61-year-old resident, and 14 staff.
“It was done with good intentions, but it went wrong,” Mole Mayor Wim Gears said of the visit, saying it was “a very dark day for the care home”.
“The man who played St. Nicholas, the organizers and the staff had a lot of stress to bear,” Gears told the network.
“It will be on all hands in the coming week,” he said.
Santa – who is said to be the son of one of the residents – was initially urged by staff to wear a mask and adhere to safety protocols, much like those who met him. However, photos of the meeting and greeting quickly proved to be false, the mayor said.
Janes Verhein, a representative of Harmonia, which runs the care home, told the Brussels Times that everyone was “shocked” by what happened.
“There is no point in condemning people,” he said, adding that he was “motivated” to control the spread of the virus with employees instead.