Cristina Hodgson
ANDALUCIA remains stuck in phase 1 of the three-phase plan for the progressive de-escalation of COVID-19 measures.
Spain’s southernmost region will remain for another two weeks in the first stage of the three-step plan due to the continued high incidence of COVID-19 in the region.
According to Andalucia’s Minister of Health, Jesus Aguirre, ‘the virus is still very much amongst us’ and has forced the Junta to halt the de-escalation plan towards normality.
Andalucia, with an incidence rate of 184 cases per 100,000 inhabitants is the highest in the country, 83 points above the Spanish average, a figure of ‘great concern’ to the Andalucian government because the community is not able to go below 150 cases—the threshold to be considered at medium risk.
In fact, the COVID-19 incidence rate in Andalucia has risen by almost 10 points in the last two weeks provoking the Advisory Council on High Impact Public Health Alerts (the so-called committee of experts) to take precautionary steps in the progressive de-escalation of COVID-19 measures.
Given the current data, the committee of experts has only agreed to one slight exception in the restrictions with respect to the Order of May 7 of the Regional Ministry of Health and Families, which is the following:
- There will be an extension of opening hours for establishments selling and serving ice cream until 1.00, but from 00:00 no alcoholic beverages may be served or sold.
Additionally, a specific risk assessment will be introduced in those municipalities with more than 5,000 inhabitants with an incidence of more than 1,000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days.
The committee of experts will continue to make a daily evaluation of all the parameters and, if the evolution progresses adequately, will meet in two weeks to evaluate a possible move to the ‘advanced’ phase.
According to the latest data released by the Junta, 1,267 new cases of the virus have been recorded in the region during the last 24 hours.
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