MADRID – What Spain feared now seems to be coming true. With an increase in Covid cases in almost all regions, Spain appears to be heading for a fourth wave of corona. Despite the rising figures, Minister Darias has confidence in the future.
Sewage research showed a six-fold increase in the number of infections last week and not much later the figures in almost all of Spain appeared to rise considerably.
Spanish minister cautious about saying “fourth corona wave”
The Spanish news site 20minutos.es writes that Health Minister Darias wants to wait for the official figures from last weekend and today before speaking of a fourth corona wave. However, she is already calling for caution during Semana Santa. The virus incidence in Spain has been increasing for a few days. In the past two weeks, Spain has had an average of 138 corona cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Extreme risk in some Spanish regions
According to the Spanish news site RTVE, the autonomous regions of Madrid, Catalonia, Navarre, Basque Country and Asturias and the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla are at extreme risk. In concrete terms, this means the incidence of the virus is above 150 corona cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Madrid leads the regions with an average of 241 cases of corona per 100,000 inhabitants in the past two weeks.
How long will regions resist “extreme risk qualification”?
The situation in the north of Spain, Catalonia and Madrid is becoming increasingly dire. In other regions the risk is still moderate. However, rising figures in Valencia, Andalucia, La Rioja, and Castile and León show that the virus is on the rise.
In order to contain the increase in Covid cases, the previously announced measures will be enforced until April 9. Travel will remain banned, Antena3 writes. The Ministry of Health advise regional authorities to close the hospitality industry when there is a higher average incidence in regions or provinces than 150 cases, or when the occupancy rate in hospitals is at risk.
Health Minister is confident
Minister Darias said on Sunday that she had confidence in the control of the virus. She expects all over-80s to be vaccinated within two weeks.
The ABC newspaper wrote this morning that Darias expects vaccinations to go three times faster from April thanks to additional vaccines. Due to this, she is confident 70% of Spaniards will have received at least the first injection in the summer.
