While the coronavirus crisis is predicted to have a profound influence on people’s mental health, it is already having a huge impact on those with existing psychosocial conditions. Although self-isolation offers protection and security, the loss of routine, activities and uncertainty about the...

The Affligem brewery in Opwijk, Flemish Brabant – makers of fine doubles and triples – have a new elixir to be proud of: disinfecting hand gel. Guess what they made it with? Affligem brewers handed over 5,500 bottles of gel today to the Opwijk city council. They made it with distilled alcohol from...

Belgium has allowed small private gatherings with friends and family, at home, from Sunday 10 May - in time for Mother's Day. Prime minister Sophie Wilmès said the feeling of isolation among some residents had "become unbearable" and added: "We must act." You can invite up to four people outside...

The city of Leuven has launched Zonnige groetjes uit Leuven (A Sunny Hello from Leuven) to recruit 1,000 households to install solar panels. The campaign was announced on Sun Day, the internationally recognised day devoted to solar energy awareness. Leuven’s city council is looking for 1,000...

Local fundraiser Meals4healthcare is stepping up its appeal for donations to deliver meals to healthcare workers on the frontline of the battle against coronavirus. The campaign, supported by Brussels professional networking club Full Circle, has already raised more than €38,000 – providing €15...

Crowd control barriers will be popping up on Rue Neuve this week in anticipation of shoppers returning to the street next Monday. That is the first day that non-food shops will be open in Belgium since 18 March when measures to control the spread of the coronavirus were intensified. On Rue Neuve,...

Caroline Pauwels (pictured) has been re-elected as the rector of VUB for another four-year term with 91% of the vote. “This clear mandate of trust in my policy plans motivates me more than ever to continue to build on the growth of VUB as a research-driven educational institution in our diverse...

Anderlecht’s Foodmet re-opened last week under a strict set of coronavirus guidelines that were particularly challenging to fulfil. The indoor market at Brussels’s Abattoir has been closed for weeks, and the open-air portion will remain closed for the time being. “Even though there were far fewer...

The city of Ghent has launched a plan to document every member of its homeless population. The city wants to get an idea of how many homeless people live there and how they found themselves on the street. The ultimate goal is to use the information gathered to set policy and reduce the number of...