Belgium reports 172 new COVID-19 cases

   BRUSSELS, March 16  -- Belgium has recorded 172 new cases of COVID-19 infection, public health institute Sciensano announced on Monday.
   As part of its surveillance missions, Sciensano has been analyzing COVID-19 data collected by its network of partners.
   Among the new confirmed cases in the last 24 hours, 80 cases (46 percent) in Flanders, 68 (40 percent) in Wallonia and 17 cases (10 percent) in Brussels. Seven cases (4 percent) do not have data available.
   Since the start of the pandemic, 1,085 cases of coronavirus infection have been reported, as well as five deaths. Only one patient has recovered.
   On March 15, 252 patients with COVID-19 were in hospital, 53 of whom were in intensive care units; 31 patients required ventilatory support, and one required ECMO.
   Belgium detected the first case of the novel coronavrius infection in early February, when one of the 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.  Xinhua