ARCHIVED - No let-up in rising Covid infection rates in Spain as the number of cases passes 4 million: update July 13

14 of the 17 regions are above the extreme risk threshold in terms of incidence rates

The fifth wave of coronavirus contagion in Spain, which has coincided with the wearing of facemasks outdoors becoming optional rather than obligatory and the further relaxation of restrictions on socialising, continues to show no sign of slowing down, and the latest daily update published by the national government on Tuesday evening reports another sharp rise in the 14-day accumulated incidence rate.

After a further 43,960 positive diagnoses pushed the total since the start of the pandemic above 4 million the rate now stands at 436 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, having risen from 368 in just 24 hours. As the overall figure rises so too does the extent to which younger adults and teenagers – most of whom have not been vaccinated - are accounting for the majority of new cases, and this can be clearly seen in the breakdown of incidence rates by age group provided by the Ministry of Health:

Age 0-11: 213

Age 12-19: 1,183 (maximum 3,448 in Navarra)

Age 20-29: 1,421 (maximum 3,311 in Catalunya)

Age 30-39: 562

Age 40-49: 266

Age 50-59: 153

Age 60-69: 140

Age 70-79: 56

Age 80+: 69

All of these figures have risen significantly over the last week, but it seems clear that the effectiveness of the vaccines is helping to control the situation to a certain degree among those who have been fully vaccinated.

Among Spain’s 17 regions the highest rates are reported in Catalunya (1,014), Castilla y León (713), Navarra (631) and Cantabria (509), but as many as 14 of Spain’s 17 regions are above the “extreme risk” threshold of 250. The only exceptions are Castilla-La Mancha (128), Galicia (210) and Murcia (172), along with the north African enclaves of Ceuta (56) and Melilla (138), but even these rates have risen significantly.

In response, various regional governments have begun to tighten up some of the restrictions on movement and social gatherings which have been relaxed in recent months.

Hospital admissions and fatalities

The fifth wave is beginning to cause an increase in the strain on public health services but at present the upward trend is, fortunately, relatively insignificant in comparison with case numbers. The proportion of hospital beds occupied by coronavirus patients has risen to 3.49 per cent, while in intensive care units the equivalent figure is 8.21 per cent, although in Catalunya the equivalent figures are 18.25 per cent and 20.9 per cent respectively.

At the same time, the number of newly confirmed Covid-related fatalities on Tuesday was just 13 and the official total since early 2020 now stands at 81,033.

Vaccination data

Following the administration of a further 538,000 doses on Monday the number of people in Spain who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus has reached 22,139,864, equivalent to 46.7 per cent of the population.

28,216,249 people have received at least one vaccine dose, equivalent to 59.5 per cent of the population.

However, in the age group with most cases being reported – those between 20 and 29 – the equivalent proportions are just 11.7 per cent fully vaccinated and 18.9 per cent with at least one dose.