ARCHIVED - Spain Covid update 21st July 2021: strain increases on hospitals as incidence rate climbs to 644

30,000 more cases of coronavirus with none of the 17 regions of Spain below the extreme risk threshold

The latest daily update published by the national government of Spain on Wednesday evening showed yet another increase in the rate of coronavirus contagion as the fifth wave continues to escalate, with the 14-day incidence rate rising its highest since the crisis of the third wave in January and February.

A further 30,587 positive diagnoses confirmed in the Wednesday bulletin have raised the rate to 644.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, an increase of 37 per cent over the last week alone, and as the overall figure rises so too does the proportion of PCR tests giving positive results, which in the latest bulletin reached 15.6 per cent.

All of the country’s 17 regions are now well above the “extreme risk” threshold of 250, while the highest figures are reported in Catalunya (1,240), Navarra (926), Castilla y León (916) and Aragón (825), while at the other end of the scale are Castilla-La Mancha (256) and Murcia (322). However, it may be that the rate is reaching a peak in certain regions, as the 7-day rate is under half the 14-day figure in Catalunya, Asturias, Castilla y León and the Comunidad Valenciana.

At the same time, the bulk of the newly reported cases continue to be in teenagers and young adults who have not been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The Wednesday breakdown of incidence rates by age groups is as follows:

Age 0-11: 410

Age 12-19: 1,561 (maximum 2,814 in Navarra)

Age 20-29: 1,867 (maximum 3,549 in Navarra)

Age 30-39: 862 (maximum 1,841 in Catalunya)

Age 40-49: 416

Age 50-59: 266

Age 60-69: 263

Age 70-79: 124

Age 80+: 167

Hospital patients and fatalities

It remains the case that the surge in new Covid cases over the last month has so far had less effect on the burden faced by health services than previous waves, but the rise in contagion is now bringing about a marked increase in the strain on hospital staff and resources. At present there are 7,255 Covid patients receiving hospital treatment in Spain as opposed to 4,467 a week ago, an increase of 62.4 per cent, and in consequence 6.07 per cent of hospital beds are occupied by patients with positive test results.

Similarly, the number of intensive care Covid patients has risen by 47.9 per cent over the last week to 1,180, accounting for 12.92 per cent of available beds, while in Catalunya that proportion has reached a worrying 37.8 per cent.

On the other hand, the latest daily Covid-related death toll was relatively low at 18, taking the official Ministry total related to the virus to 81,166.

Vaccination data

Following the administration of another 583,000 doses on Tuesday the number of people in Spain who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus has reached 24,700,450, equivalent to 52.1 per cent of the population.

29,956,479 people have received at least one vaccine dose, equivalent to 63.1 per cent of the population.

Encouragingly, progress is now being made in the age group with most cases being reported – those between 20 and 29. In this group the equivalent proportions are up to 13.5 per cent fully vaccinated and 29.7 per cent with at least one dose.