• Coronavirus infections soar in Spain. On Thursday the Ministry of Health has reported 2,935 new cases diagnosed in the last 24 hours. According to the report published today, the total figure since the beginning of the pandemic now amounts to 337,334.
  • In addition, in the last seven days 70 people have died from COVID-19, 26 more deaths than yesterday.
  • The Basque Country is proposing the reintroduction of the state of health emergency “if the seriousness of the situation continues”
  • Three new cases in Campoamor

This data represent a significant increase compared to the last report, when 1,690 infections were diagnosed in the previous day.

According to the data released this Thursday, in the last week 953 people have required hospitalization and 51 have had to be admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICU).

By autonomous communities, reporting the most new cases is Madrid, which has 842 new infections. It is followed by the Basque Country, with more than half a thousand new cases (545); Aragon, with 418 new cases; Valencia 358 and Andalusia, with 217.

Catalonia has registered 164 new infections in the last 24 hours, Galicia 107 and the Canary Islands almost a hundred, 99. Navarra has reported 83 new cases, according to Health.

This upward trend in infections has led some autonomies to adopt new measures. From today, Thursday, it is forbidden to smoke in Galicia in the streets and bars, when the safety distance of at least two metres cannot be maintained.

Several autonomous communities are also considering joining the smoking ban. Canarias has already announced that it will introduce this restriction, as well as the closure of nightlife. In addition, it will extend the mandatory use of a mask to all public spaces, regardless of social distance. Until now, the archipelago was the only autonomous region in which this measure had not been adopted.

The Minister of Health of Extremadura , José María Vergeles, has indicated this Thursday that the region is experiencing without “any doubt” a second wave of the coronavirus, as a result of the rates registered in recent days, comparable to those that were notified in March.

His Basque counterpart, Nekane Murga, also indicated this Thursday that the Government of Euskadi is studying the possibility of re-declaring the health emergency if the rate of infections is maintained.

Coronavirus in the Valencian Community

In the Valencian Community there are 358 new positives this Thursday, with 180 active outbreaks. Thankfully there are no deaths.

The data was provided by the Minister of Health, Ana Barceló, at a press conference this afternoon during which she has announced an increase in control measures in the city of Valencia where family gatherings are further limited to a maximum of 15 people and additional precautions are to be introduced in public establishments, including bars, restaurants, discos and pubs which, from Saturday, have to close by 1.30am

She said that of the 180 active COVID-19 outbreaks in the Valencian provinces, 78% are concentrated in the province of Valencia, 18.4% in Alicante and 2.8% in the province of Castellón. At the moment, any new outbreaks detected have not been detailed.

Regarding the new cases, by province: there are 28 in Castellón, 84 in Alicante and 248 in Valencia. These figures increase the total number of infections since the beginning of the pandemic to 6,306 positives.

The situation in the hospitals shows 201 people admitted to different hospitals in the Community, of which 20 are in serious condition in the ICU. By provinces, Castellón has 6 people admitted and none in the ICU, Alicante 52 patients of which 7 are in the ICU and Valencia 142 patients of which 13 are in the ICU.

Meanwhile 255 people have been cured in the last 24 hours, 15 in Castellón, 69 in Alicante and 171 in Valencia.

In Care homes there are positives in 27 centres: 20 are residences for the elderly, 2 centres for children and 5 centres for those with functional diversity.

Infections in Campoamor

Following the recommendations of the health authorities, the Shangrila Klub, on the right hand side of the N332 a km south of Cabo Roig, has temporarily closed and the facilities have been thoroughly cleaned after two employees were found to be infected with the virus.

These are in addition to the case of a 23-year-old girl from Madrid who was spending her holidays in the Orihuela Costa resort. The girl began to feel ill after returning to her home in Madrid. Once notified the health authorities sent a disinfection team to her Campoamor apartment which was thoroughly cleaned.