Date Published: 08/01/2021
ARCHIVED - 1,279 new covid cases in 24 hours; highest daily total ever in Murcia Region
ARCHIVED ARTICLE
Distribution of cases around the region; the darker the colour, the higher the cases.
It is looking increasingly likely that the warnings of a third wave after the festive season will prove to have been foresightful, as just two days after the last Bank Holiday of the festive season the Murcia Region has broken its own record for the highest number of cases reported in a single day for the second time this week.
1,279 new cases have been diagnosed within the last 24 hours, more than doubling the total from yesterday which related to tests carried out on the Three Kings Bank Holiday.
The most worrying aspect about this batch of results is that the percentage of positive tests returned from the 6,214 PCR tests undertaken, has risen to 20.5% of positives. Before Christmas the level of positivity had fallen to between 5-6.5% on any given day, indicating a low level of contagion circulating amongst the population, but a yield of over 20% of positive tests confirms concerns that the virus is circulating at a much higher rate amongst the population in general.
The total number of active cases in the region has now risen back up to 6,964, with 64,980 people diagnosed positive since the pandemic began last year.
Image 2; number of cases by day (top), and hospitalisations below (blue general, red ICU).
The 1,279 new cases are spread right across the region, although the largest numbers of cases are logically in the major cities where the greatest concentration of the population live: 386 correspond to the municipality of Murcia, 206 to Cartagena, 64 to Molina de Segura, 61 to Lorca, 50 to Jumilla, 34 to Alcantarilla, 33 to Yecla, 30 to Cieza, 30 to Torre Pacheco, 27 to Moratalla, 26 to Mula, 26 to San Pedro del Pinatar, 25 to La Unión, 23 to Fortuna, 23 to San Javier, 22 to Abanilla, 22 to Las Torres de Cotillas, 21 to Santomera, 16 to Caravaca de la Cruz, 14 to Alhama de Murcia, 13 to Fuente Álamo, 11 to Los Alcázares, 11 to Lorquí, 10 to Abarán, 10 to Archena, 10 to Ceutí, 7 to Cehegín, 7 to Mazarrón, 6 to Alguazas, 5 to Águilas, 5 to Beniel , and 5 to Bullas. The remainder are spread across the remaining municipalities in quantities lower than 5.
Fatalities: Five further deaths from coronavirus have been reported in the last 24 hours; one woman and four men aged 65,76,74, 87 and 89, from the municipalities of Murcia (3), Mazarrón and Fuente-Álamo, bringing the fatalities total to date up to 771.
Hospitalisations:
23 further patients with more severe cases were admitted to hospital within the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 323, of which 75 are in intensive care. 6,641 people are in home isolation with milder symptoms.
AI Rate:
The regional 7 day rate has risen to 275 cases per 100,000 and the 14 day rate to 412.
As a comparison, the average 14 day rates across Europe are: Spain 297, France 272, Italy 335, Germany 319, Netherlands 759, Portugal 517, so the figures below illustrate just how high these figures are:
The worst affected municipalities over the last 7 days are: Abanilla 832 per 100,000, Fortuna 771, Ricote 553, Jumilla 535, Moratalla 484, La Unión 464, Lorquí 462. (see below for 7 day rate across the region)
Over 14 days the figures are Abanilla 1452, Fortuna 1236, Villanueva 962, Jumilla 851, Los Alcázares 675, La Unión 662.
(see below for 14 day rate across the region)
Data at a glance:
New positive cases reported in the last 24 hours: 1279 (+711)
Confirmed cases since the beginning of the outbreak; 64,980
Total number of active cases: 6,964
Patients in home isolation with mild symptoms: 6,641
Total number of hospitalisations: 323 (+23)
Total number in ICU intensive care units : 75 (+1 )
Total cured: 57,245
Total deaths: 771 (+5)
R-rate: 1.29