Coronavirus outbreak risk falls from ‘very high’ to ‘high’ for first time in three months
Indicator falls below 200-point threshold as Catalonia loosens restrictions
The outbreak risk fell below 200 to 198 in Catalonia for the first time in three months, meaning a shift from the ‘very high’ risk category down to ‘high’.
As the latest Covid-19 figures were made public on Tuesday, the outbreak risk registered its lowest point since December 13, when Spain was headed for the third wave of the pandemic, eventually peaking at 794.
The outbreak risk is considered to be low at 30, moderate at 70, high at 100 and very high at 200. It is calculated using an iEPG index - found by multiplying the average spread of the virus over the past seven days by the cumulative incidence over the past two weeks.
Also, the Covid-19 transmission rate – the number of people each positive case is transmitting the virus to – fell to 0.92 on March 2 and is still at 0.92 on March 9 (a transmission rate over one concerns authorities).
Daily infections and hospitalisations
The number of daily infections has also been decreasing since the peak of the 3rd wave, with 943 cases being diagnosed by PCR or antigen on March 8 compared to 6,981 on January 11.
It has also been two months since there were less than 500 patients in intensive care, with the number nudging back up to 502 on March 8 but having been at 497 the day before.
Relaxing of measures
This comes just after new Covid-19 restrictions came into effect in Catalonia on Monday - bars can now open from 7:30am to 5pm, extending their opening time and getting rid of the mandatory break between breakfast and lunch.
Also in-person teaching at universities can resume at 30% of classrooms' capacity. Authorities will also allow outdoor activities at community centers for people over 60 years old, leisure activities for teens, and the return of sports competitions from 16 years old, among others.
School trips have been authorized again, as long as students remain within their social bubble and capacity limits for sports activities are eased to 30% when held indoors and 50% when held in the open air.
The vaccine
The government continues with its vaccination programme, with the health department estimating that 40% of Catalans will have received it by June.
As of March 8, 2021, 581,079 residents have been given the first dose of the vaccine, 7.52% of the total population. Out of those, 208,901 have also been administered the second dose (2.71% of the total population).