75 infected with Covid after Santa Claus visits nursing home in Belgium

‘It is a very great mental strain to bear for the man that played Saint Nicholas,’ mayor says

The Hemelrijck care home in Mol is grappling with an outbreak after a visit from Santa (BELGA/AFP via Getty Images)

At least 75 people have been infected with coronavirus at a Belgian care home  after a visit from a man dressed as Santa Claus.

Officials fear the would-be Saint Nicholas may have been a “super-spreader” of the virus, with 61 residents and 14 staff members testing positive in the days after his visit.

The visitor was reportedly among the first to test positive shortly after appearing at the Hemelrijck home in Mol in a bid to cheer up its 169 residents.

“It was done with the best intent, but it went wrong,” Mol’s mayor, Wim Caeyers, told Belgium’s national broadcaster VRT. “It has been a very black day for the care home. 

“It is a very great mental strain to bear for the man that played Saint Nicholas, as well as for the organisers and the staff.”

He added that “it will be all hands on deck during the coming week”, with council workers, the Red Cross and the governor of Antwerp Province all having been drafted in to help.

The mayor and Brussels Times alleged that care home management had initially said social distancing rules had been followed during the visit, with the man – reported to be a son of a resident – remaining a safe distance from residents and wearing a mask at all times.

“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 that this wasn’t the case,” Mr Caeyers said. 

VRT reported that in photographs of the event, the visitors were wearing masks, but care home residents were not.

“We received incorrect information from the management,” the municipality told Brussels Times. “We deeply regret that. After looking at several photos, we have to conclude that this goes much further than an error of judgement. Rather, this is a case of totally irresponsible management.”

A spokesperson for Armonea, the company in charge of the care home, told the paper: “It makes no sense to condemn people.

“The team is very shocked by what happened, but that also makes them very motivated to get the virus out again.”