Eugene Costello
TUESDAY saw a record number of new COVID-19 cases in Valencia since the pandemic began, while talk of another lockdown and a return to home confinement in the region gathers pace.
According to data released by the Ministry of Health, infections have spiked to 250 infections per 100,000 people.
Some 1,969 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded yesterday, with 20 deaths from the coronavirus, the Generalitat de Valencia said, although numbers were slightly down in Alicante province.
These are the worse figures in a single day since the pandemic started, with the comunidad in complete lockdown for around 10 weeks from mid-March.
The comunidad is recording a 15% rate of infection on those being tested, some two points higher than the national average, while also being the region that performs the least number of PCR and antigen tests in Spain, claims regional newspaper ABC.
The current tally of deaths in the Comunidad de Valencia now stands at 1,862 people, with the Ministry of Health having identified 66 new brotes or localised outbreaks.
The Generalitat has stated that it will extend the border closure and curfew – toque de queda – for another week, while refusing to discount the possibility of another home confinement.
It is presently thought unlikely that the Generalitat will petition the national government to adapt the state of alarm to allow such a move.
This sudden surge has increased pressure on health services, with 1,299 people having been admitted to hospital across the community.
There are 730 cases in the main province of Valencia, with 106 in ICUs, 451 in the province of Alicante, with 76 in ICU, and 118 in the province of Alicante, 22 in ICU.
These figures mean that 12% of all hospital beds are occupied by cases of COVID-19, rising to 22% in ICUs. A crumb of comfort is that both these figures are lower than the national average.
