Eugene Costello
COVID-19 deaths passed the 2,000 mark since the onset of the pandemic, with 19 more recorded yesterday, and the border closure of the Valencian Community has been extended for at least another week.
In a tacit admission that measures to bring the infections under control are not working, the Conselleria de Sanitat (regional Ministry of Health) said that as of Thursday, some 50 new cases were admitted to hospitals in the Valencian Community, bringing the number of admissions to 1,580.
Worryingly, some 260 of these are in the ICU, adding to an already fraught stand-off between medical unions and the regional Ministry of Health.
The figures released by the Ministry of Health means that there is now an infection rate of just shy of 300 per 100,000, with a concomitant positivity rate of 18%, some five points above the national average.
While the extension of the perimeter closure for another week will surprise few observers, there will be relief that the regional government has not brought the toque de queda, or curfew, forward an hour to 11pm, as struggling bar and restaurant owners had feared.
The Generalitat also increased restrictions on capacity in ceremonies, places of worship, hotels and businesses. These limitations to combat the spread of the coronavirus came into effect on November 7 and will be maintained, unless modified by the regional Ministry of Health, until December 9. Despite the rebound in the cumulative incidence of the coronavirus, the Generalitat has been inclined to allow breathing space for the rest of the measures while waiting to know its effects.
