Date Published: 18/07/2020
ARCHIVED - Saturday Covid Murcia; Number of positive cases in Murcia increases by 23 to 128
ARCHIVED ARTICLE There are now 128 active cases
Regional Minister of Health, Manuel Villegas, visiting the newly re-opened psychiatric unit of the Hospital Rafael Méndez de Lorca today following a re-fit
Suddenly the number of cases in the Murcia Region has started to climb following a number of outbreaks, with 23 new cases in the last 24 hours. Yesterday the region reported 21 new cases.
In a week the number of cases has risen from 79 to 128.
The Ministry of Health again called for prudence and individual responsibility to face the pandemic after the increase in cases detected in recent days.
"We are at a crucial moment to beat the virus," said the Minister of Health, Manuel Villegas. "We have sacrificed a lot and made a commendable effort as a society, but we must continue to maintain measures of social distancing, hygiene and the use of a mask if we want to beat the virus."
New outbreaks:
Zona de ocio de las Atalayas, the nocturnal leisure area in Los Atalayas in Murcia. Yesterday the regional government used the new powers granted by legislation on Thursday to immediately close four drinking clubs used by the individuals who sparked off the “Bolivian case” between 4th and 11th June after returning from Bolivia with Covid.The government appealed to anyone who had used the four clubs between those dates and who thought they could be positive to come forward and take a covid test, and several people have done so, the result being 15 new cases associated with this outbreak, bringing the “Atalaya” total to 24.
Anyone who believes they may be positive should call the regional Covid hotline on 900 12 12 12 for a test appointment. Health centres nearby remain open across the weekend to enable anyone who believes they may be positive to take a PCR test.
Cieza Hospital: On Friday evening it was announced that the third floor in the Hospital de la Vega Lorenzo Guirao de Cieza had been closed following the discovery that a 72 year old patient was positive. All Covid cases requiring hospital treatment are being concentrated in the Santa Lucia in Hospital and the Virgen de la Arrixaca in Murcia, so the patient was moved to the Arrixaca where facilities have been prepared to isolate Covid patients.
All staff who had come into contact with the patient were tested and all 18 were immediately quarantined. A second test was carried out when all gave positive results, the fear being that there could be a contamination in the lab. Several fruit producers in Cieza have carried out tests on employees following the recent outbreaks in other areas of Spain within the agricultural sector, particularly relating to migrant labour. Last week the King and Queen of Spain visited Cieza.
The town hall has called for residents to apply strict hygiene measures and has offered to quarantine the municipality and tighten restrictions, although the regional ministry has rejected the offer, saying there are insufficient grounds for such a measure at the moment. An investigation is underway to determine the contacts which resulted in the positive case. All immediate members of his family have tested negative.
Other data: One person recovered from Covid during the last 24 hours, bringing this total to 1,552.Of the 28 active cases, 107 are in home isolation, 21 are hospitalised, of which one is in intensive care.
The fatalities rate remains unchanged at 151.