MADRID – Spain is again qualified as a country with an ‘average risk’ when it comes to the number of corona infections. Although more infections have been registered again, the government is not worried. It claims Spain has managed to control the virus. This is despite the rising risk level.
For a month, Spain managed to stay below 50 corona cases per 100,000 inhabitants and was officially called ‘low risk’. However, on Thursday, Spain crossed this limit again with an average corona incidence of 51.6 cases/100,000 inhabitants over the past 14 days.
Young children still the largest source of infection in Spain
Children under the age of 12 are still the group where the virus is most active. The incidence within this group has averaged 68.8 cases/100,000 over the past two weeks. Moreover, one of the main reasons the virus is most active in this group is because they have not been vaccinated. Whereas, of the group that has already been vaccinated, the incidence is highest among those in their forties (56.7 cases/100,000).
Spain proud of sky-high vaccination rate
According to the Ministry of Health’s report last Thursday, 90.4% of the population over the age of 12 has had at least one injection. 88.7% of Spaniards have already been fully vaccinated.
Despite the corona rising risk level and the fact that Spain is officially again seen as a country with an average risk level, the Spanish health minister is not worried. Minister Darias spoke on Thursday at a meeting of the National Health Council: “Spain is in a situation where the country has cornered the virus”. She says she is very proud of the high vaccination rates among Spaniards.
Although the corona numbers are rising, Spain is currently doing very well in keeping the virus under control, she says. “However, vigilance is still required,” she concludes her speech.
No worries about the situation in Spanish hospitals
Another positive development is that the occupancy rate of corona patients in hospitals in Spain continues to fall. Corona patients only take up 4.37% of the number of ICU beds in Spain. Therefore, Spain does not have to worry about such percentages, she says. Although Darias continues to focus primarily on the development of the number of corona cases, this is a very optimistic fact.
Millions of vaccines from Spain to other countries
Spain is one of the countries in the world with the highest vaccination rate. However, the country also donates millions of vaccines to other continents. For example, 20 million doses have already been donated to Latin America. And Spain has also recently started donating to African countries. Spain is collaborating with Covax on this. And aims to donate 30 million vaccines by the end of 2021 and 50 million by the following quarter.
