Confirmed cases of COVID-19 rise to 50 in Belgium

Twenty-seven new cases of COVID-19 infection were confirmed in Belgium on Wednesday, bringing the total number of the cases in the country to 50, the Federal Public Health Service said in a statement on Thursday.

Among the new confirmed cases, 16 live in Flanders, two in Brussels and nine in Wallonia.

Most of these patients returned from holidays in Italy. They showed mild symptoms of respiratory tract infections. Some are isolated at home, while others are treated in a specialized hospital.

Belgium detected the first case of the novel coronavrius infection in early February, when one of the nine returnees from Wuhan, China, tested positive for the virus. The Belgian was discharged from the Saint-Pierre Hospital in Brussels on Feb. 15 after tests turned negative.