Laurence Dollimore
ANDALUCIA has recorded 2,687 new coronavirus cases in its worst day since November 26.
It beats the 2021 high of 2,391 cases recorded just yesterday, and is much higher than the 1,714 reported Thursday last week.
It means that over the past seven days, the cumulative incidence rate of the virus in the region has increased by 51.4 points, standing today at 192 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
In hospitals, 16 more COVID-19 patients have been admitted in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 1,088, representing a week-on-week increase of 112.
Of these, 211 are in intensive care units (ICUs), 10 more than yesterday and one more than a week ago.
While it is the third consecutive day of hospital numbers increasing, the region is still a far cry from the 3,478 hospitalisations seen in the peak of the second wave, or the 2,708 in the first.
In the first and second waves, the ICUs of Andalucia peaked at 438 and 528 coronavirus patients respectively.
According to the Junta, there have been five deaths from the virus in the past 24 hours, the only metric to have seen a decrease on Thursday.
It comes as the Junta is set to meet with the committee of experts on January 8 to decide whether or not to toughen up the current restrictions in place.
It has already closed off eight border towns in the Campo de Gibraltar after the discovery of the ‘UK variant’, which is up to 70% more contagious.
But with cases of the new strain already detected in Malaga and Ronda, and cases increasing sharply, tougher measures are likely to be advised by the experts.
