A super-spreader Santa Claus visited a care home while unknowingly carrying Covid-19 - before 18 residents died of the bug. Five more residents died over Christmas Eve and Christmas day to bring the death toll to 18 after the visit from the unwitting Covid carrier earlier this month.
Belgian news site VRT carries pictures of the visit from the Santa Claus impersonator, which show him posing with elderly residents while wearing a face covering.
VRT reports the coronavirus death toll began rising steadily throughout December after the event, aimed at cheering up residents at the Hemelrijck care home in Mol, near the northern Belgian municipality of Antwerp.