Laurence Dollimore
ANDALUCIA has seen its deadliest day of the second wave with 54 COVID-19 deaths recorded over the past 24 hours.
The previous deadliest day since the end of the first wave was last Thursday, when 44 people lost their lives to the virus, reports the Andalucia Institute of Statistics and Cartography (IECA).
Meanwhile, 2,823 cases have been registered by PCR and antibody tests on Tuesday.
Sevilla is in a league of its own today, clocking 1,005 cases, the highest daily figure for an Andalucian province in the second wave.
It is distantly followed by Malaga, with 377 cases, Cadiz 375, Granada 324, Jaen 330, Cordoba 209, Huelva 106 and Almeria 87.
Since the pandemic began, Andalucia has recorded 119,691 coronavirus cases.
Of the 54 deaths counted today, Almeria counted 10 while Cadiz and Sevilla clocked nine each. They are followed by Cordoba and Granada with seven each, Malaga with six, Jaen with three and Huelva with one.
Of most concern is the growing pressure on hospitals in the region.
There are now 2,262 coronavirus patients, 118 more than Monday.
Of these, 282 are in intensive care units, an increase of 20 from yesterday, according to the Junta.
At the height of the pandemic on March 30, there were 2,709 people hospitalised with the virus, 438 of them in ICUs.
Currently, some 18.61% of intensive care beds in the region are taken up by the virus – that figure was 13% 11 days ago.
In terms of regular hospital beds, some 13.83% are occupied by COVID-19 sufferers.
Nationwide, 24.24% of ICU beds are filled by coronavirus patients, and 13.72% of conventional hospital beds.
Junta spokesman Elias Bendodo announced today that the region will launch an emergency plan to create 1,500 extra beds for coronavirus patients.
It had already launched a plan in September to ensure its hospitals could cope with 3,000 patients, but given the continuing climb in cases it now wants to be ready to cope with 4,500.
