- Health expects cases to peak in the coming days
- The fatalities due to Covid-19 number 12 in the Alicante Province, where there are currently 125 patients in hospital and 45 new cases. Of those hospitalised, 24 are in Intensive Care ICU.
- Overnight the numbers in the Valencian community have increased by 195 and there have been two more deaths in Valencia city.
In the province a 37-year-old patient, who was admitted to the ICU with Covid-19, and who also had other underlying illnesses, died in the Dénia hospital last night.
This is the latest data provided by the Ministry of Health which foresees a peak in the number of cases between this weekend and next week, according to Minister Ana Barceló at her daily online the press conference.
“The picture is different in each community and we do not know exactly when the peak of cases will come, but it is expected that they will occur during the next 7 days, according to data from the Ministry of Health,” said Barceló.
She that in the last 24 hours new infections in the Community amount to 195 positives, of which 45 have been registered in the province of Alicante. The figures from Valencia add two more deaths from the Covid-19, bringing the total number of deaths in the Community so far to 25.
On the situation of infections among health personnel, which on Wednesday was aggressively affecting the Health department in the General Hospital of Alicante, Barceló said that in the community as a whole there are 112 affected professionals who have tested positive of which 66 are at home self-isolating without symptoms and 46 are infected. She said that the replacement of personnel is being dealt with “from one day to the next”, as the President of the Generalitat, Ximo Puig, promised would be the case.
She also said that the Ministry plans to start enlisting today additional assistance from retired health professionals, even if they lack the specialty, to help combat the coronavirus. “We need all possible help in this battle that we are all fighting.” Advertisements for personnel under the age of 70 have been posted on the Valencian Community website.
Regarding the implementation of quicker and more regular tests, especially among health personnel, Barceló said that she is waiting for the Government to publish some change in criteria in this regard, and that when “all the information and everything we need is ready, we will begin to do the tests”. She pointed out that they are already being tested for the coronavirus “whenever necessary. Professionals, both health and State Security and other public service bodies are essential,” she added.
Among the total tests carried out on members of the public, 5,341 have given a negative result.
In the province there are currently 338 positive cases of Covid-19, among the total of 921 in the Valencian Community, and 19 patients have been cured, seven in the province.
The Ministry has also said that over 6,000 people who will see their SIP/Health cards expire during the coming weeks will not now have to renew them, for as long as is deemed to be necessary.
Regarding the availability of beds due to the foreseeable rise in cases in the coming days, Barceló said that “we have the capacity to accommodate all new cases. All resources are being used and other places are being identified in case they need to be converted to ICUs.”
There is also concern about the shortage of hygienic material to which the Minister assured the press that “everything is coming, although it is not everything that has been requested”, and that in the next few days new consignments of masks and protective equipment are expected, which are currently being distributed by the Government.
The restriction of protective material causes concern among emergency medical personnel and technicians, and in the Elche General Hospital they are rationed. They are said to be provided with just one set with which they must last the whole week. The authorities say that “it is a question of making responsible use of the available resources” although one health worker explained that “usually surgical masks are discarded after four hours of use.”
Torrevieja Hospital is also in short supply, although the local Chinese community has donated more than 4,000 masks and hydro alcoholic solution.
Iberdrola has reinforced its procedures saying that it has introduced a special care plan in hospital services, with the aim of ensuring the maintenance and quality of supply, as well as the deployment of new facilities for patient care.
The company has so far identified 268 public and private hospitals and health centres in 25 provinces of 10 communities, where it is already reviewing energy and reserve power, as well as the operation of digitised facilities. In the Valencian Community, 65 hospitals and health centres have been identified.
Iberdrola say that they will give priority to expanding power for facilities that house field or temporary hospitals – hotels and other public and private spaces – to serve patients.
Current cases in Spain 18,077 with 831 deaths.
