ARCHIVED - 99 new cases take Murcia Covid total to 947 on Friday 7th August

Molina de Segura Mayoress warns that the municipality may have to return to phase 1 and Covid wards are re-opened in outlying hospitals

38 of these new cases relate to the municipality of Murcia; 17 to Lorca; 15 to Cartagena; 8 to Puerto Lumbreras; 6 to Totana, 3 to Molina de Segura; and 2 to Mazarrón. The remaining 10 cases are spread out between other municipalities.

The number of Covid cases in the Region of Murcia continues to rise and on Friday 99 new cases were added to the active cases total, bringing the latest count up to 947.

This is the highest figure recorded in a single day since the 15th May and takes the region back to before de-escalation began.

The high number of new cases is the result of increased testing of known contacts of those who have already tested positive as the regional health authority attempts to close the net around any cases detected to prevent them from spreading further out into the community and isolate those concerned, but far from being one or two major outbreaks, the virus is now spreading on a larger number of fronts and in many municipalities at the same time. During the last 24 hours a total of 1703 PCR tests and 38 antibody tests have been undertaken.

The number of cases has increased steadily all week; 33 on Monday, 30 on Tuesday, 65, on Wednesday,71 on Thursday, and 99 on Friday.

This brings the total number of cases diagnosed to date in the region up to 4,553.

Last Friday the region reported 644 cases, which is double the figure reported the previous week on July 24th; 305 active cases, so this week alone the number of cases in the region has increased by 303 cases and by 642 in the last fortnight.

The majority of the patients are in home quarantine (868), but hospitalisations are also steadily increasing. As of today there are seven new cases in hospital, bringing this total up to 79, eight of whom are in intensive care.

Patients are continuing to recover and 1749 of those tested by PCR test have now recovered.
The fatalities total remains unchanged at 151 as it has throughout the month of July.

Covid ward re-opened at Lorca Hospital
The numbers of patients requiring hospitalisation fell considerably towards the end of de-esclation and Covid patients were all moved to the Virgen de la Arrixaca in Murcia and Santa Lucía in Cartagena.
With the numbers increasing so substantially the decision has been taken to re-open Covid wards in other hospitals, starting with the Hospital Universitario Rafael Méndez in Lorca, the principal hospital servicing the Área III de Salud, to relieve the pressure on the other hospitals and keep patients within their health area.

Molina de Segura may return to phase 1
On Friday the Mayoress of Molina de Segura, Esther Clavero, warned that the municipality may be forced to take drastic measures to halt the further spread of the virus within the municipality and is considering returning Molina de Segura to phase 1 during the second half of August if the number of cases continues to rise.

There are 34 cases in the municipality following a sharp increase in the last few days.
The Mayoress denounced the “irresponsible and unsupportive way" in which some residents are behaving, highlighting one individual who went out to a restaurant when he had been told to stay at home and observe a 14 day quarantine. The restaurant owner realised that the man was ill and physically closed his restaurant to ensure it was deep disinfected before he would serve any other customers.

She warned that this type of action would be followed by fines and stated that more than one hundred fines had already been issued in the last month for non-observance of the Covid measures.
She warned that the economic repercussions on the businesses of the municipality would be notable should it be necessary to take more drastic actions.

On Monday municipal technicians are meeting with the regional Ministry of Health to discuss a plan of action which may include closing parks, swimming pools and various facilities or even a confinement.

Positive Covid cases in at least 35 of the 45 municipalities of the Murcia Region.
This was last published on WEDNESDAY as this particular set of figures is only published once a week, but shows how widespread the current cases are:

This is the spread of new cases diagnosed in the last 14 days by municipality:
Abanilla 4
Águilas 3
Alcantarilla 8
Los Alcázares 3
Alguazas 6
Alhama de Murcia 7
Archena 1
Beniel 6
Blanca 2
Bullas 6
Caravaca de la Cruz 10
Cartagena 27
Cehegín 4
Ceutí 3
Cieza 10
Fuente Álamo 2
Jumilla 2
Lorca 73
Lorquí 2
Mazarrón 75
Molina de Segura 25
Moratalla 1
Mula 6
Murcia 187
Ojós 1
Puerto Lumbreras 5
San Javier 4
San Pedro del Pinatar 3
Santomera 4
Torre Pacheco 16
Las Torres de Cotillas 2
Totana 201
La Unión 2
Villanueva del Río Segura 1
Yecla 11
Those from other regions diagnosed in Murcia 1
Total 724 (as of Wednesday 5th August)