At least 26 residents of a Belgian retirement home have died since a visit by a volunteer dressed as Santa Claus who has since tested positive for Covid-19.

A Flemish health official told AFP it is not yet certain that it was the visitor who brought the coronavirus to the Hemelrijck home in Mol on December 5.

But 26 residents have died since the visit, and 85 more have tested positive for the coronavirus, along with 40 staff.

The outbreak was detected a few days after the visit, and prominent virologist Marc Van Ranst reported on Twitter that most of the infections came from the same source.

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