Laurence Dollimore
ANDALUCIA has detected 1,383 new coronavirus cases Thursday in the highest daily count of December so far.
According to the Junta, it is actually the worst figure since November 29, when 1,613 new infections were detected, and is more than double that of last Thursday.
Although a staggering 5,215 people overcame COVID-19 on Thursday, the increase in infections means after more than a week of decline, the region’s cumulative incidence rate has increased by 1.3 points to reach 136.7 cases per 100,000 people.
But it is still the third-lowest rate out of the country’s 17 regions, beaten only by the Canaries and the small autonomous city of Ceuta.
Meanwhile the national average sits at 201.16 cases per 100,000 people, up from 198.77 on Tuesday and 193 on Monday.
Out of Andalucia’s eight provinces, Jaen has the highest incidence rate at 216.9, followed by Huelva with 181.7, Cadiz 176.3, Almeria 174.1, Cordoba 146.8, Granada 118.2, Malaga 107.5 and Sevilla 89.4.
“I’m asking all Andalucians to take maximum responsibility when celebrating over this festive period,” said regional health minister Jesus Aguirre at a press conference Thursday, “doing so as calmly as possible and following all health recommendations.”
It comes as Cadiz and Malaga counted the most new cases in the past 24 hours, with 284 each, followed by Almeria with 176, Jaen 168, Granada 144, Sevilla 133, Cordoba 109 and Huelva 85.
The figures also reveal 27 people lost their lives to the virus over the same period, significantly lower than the 56 who died last Thursday, albeit still tragic.
Jaen saw the most deaths with 10, followed by Sevilla with seven, Cadiz with four and Almeria, Cordoba and Huelva with one each. Malaga and Granada saw no coronavirus deaths over the past 24 hours.
Hospital pressure is decreasing
Across the region’s hospitals, the number of COVID patients has dropped – for the second day in a row – by 37, bringing the total to 1,253.
The figure represents 301 fewer patients than the same day last week.
In intensive care units there are 261 coronavirus sufferers, representing a week-on-week decrease of 70.
The number of conventional hospital beds taken up by the virus in the region has lowered to 7.8% (15.8% in ICUs).
Granada has the most COVID patients, counting 218 in conventional units and 55 in intensive care, followed by Cadiz with 225 (plus 43 in ICU) and Malaga with 187 (plus 28 in ICU).
