THE steady rise in infections in Spain’s Andalucia is promoting a special meeting of the regional committee of experts.
Andalucian Health Minister Jesus Aguirre said at a press conference in Cordoba on Sunday, November, 14 that “next week or the next” a meeting of the committee of experts will take place to evaluate the “upward” evolution of covid infections in the region. The minister hinted that rising infections in Andalucia, with the incidence approaching the medium risk level of 50 per 100,000 inhabitants (43.7 cases Saturday, November 13), may cause the return of some of the restrictions imposed at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.
Speaking at a World Diabetes Day commemoration, Aguirre pointed out that the accumulated incidence rate in Andalucia “is rising slightly” in a “slow” but “constant” way. He added that experts will analyse the situation and assess whether it is necessary to “take special measures” to try to “stop” this upward trend of the virus and it is necessary to be “expectant” and cautious.”
However, he stressed that although Andalucia has a large percentage of its population vaccinated (90%), it also means that the majority of patients who are admitted to the hospital or ICU’s do not have that protection. The minister said he will ask the Ministry of Health to allow a third dose of the vaccine to be administered to those over 60 years of age. Recent data indicates that over 500,000 people in Andalucia have received the booster jab.
Aguirre said that Andalucia has “vaccines in the fridge” to face that third dose of vaccination and is waiting for the European Medicines Agency to give the “go-ahead” to start inoculating children, either in “schools or health centres.”
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