Authorities: Number of people in hospital due to virus has eased

Belgium expressed very cautious optimism on Wednesday as the number of people admitted to hospital because of the coronavirus fell for the first time.

At briefing, Belgian Crisis Center spokesperson Emmanuel Andre said 487 were admitted to hospital with virus symptoms in the last 24 hours, while 524 people were released.

He said the spread of the coronavirus in the country of around 11.5 million people appears to be reaching "a peak or a plateau" and is hopeful that the trend would be confirmed in coming days.

Andre said while the drop in hospital admissions is "an encouraging sign", he warned that now is not the time to ease any restrictions.

More than 5,600 people remain in hospital for treatment.

At least 2,240 people have died, including 205 on Tuesday.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.

According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.