Laurence Dollimore
ANDALUCIA has recorded 3,676 new coronavirus cases on Thursday in a significant drop from Wednesday’s tally of 6,626.
It is also far fewer than the 7,409 cases detected on Thursday last week, according to Junta figures.
It has meant the 14-day cumulative incidence rate has dropped by 38 points to reach 877.58 cases per 100,000 people.
However it remains 137 points higher than Thursday last week, when there were on average 740 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Meanwhile, there have been 82 deaths in the past 24 hours, representing another deadly day after Wednesday, Tuesday and Saturday all recorded more than 80 lives lost to the virus.
Hospitalised COVID-19 patients increased for the 26th day in a row, by 149, to reach a new high of 4,417.
Of these, 624 are in the intensive care unit, growing by 18 since Wednesday.
Regional president Juanma Moreno told a press conference today that while there was a significant drop in infections Thursday, there are still at least 10 tough days ahead.
The Partido Popular leader said he expected hospital pressure and deaths to remain high, given that last week there were several days of more than 7,000 new cases being reported.
He told reporters that he has once again asked the Ministry of Health for extra powers to implement an 8pm curfew and home confinements wherever necessary.
Such requests have been repeatedly denied, with former health minister Salvador Illa, who resigned from his post yesterday, having said the current tools granted to the autonomous regions are ‘sufficient’ to flatten the curve of the virus.
Moreno has now pleaded his case to the new health boss Carolina Darias, who replaced Illa after he quit to stand in the upcoming Catalunya elections.
