The number of positive cases in Spain increases daily as the COVID-19 spreads throughout the country. Because of this, the Autonomous States have been forced to take different measures to ensure the well-being and safety of their citizens.
This Friday, the Ministry of Health has notified 10.853 new cases and 294 deaths of coronavirus which means that since the beginning of the pandemic there have been more than 1,6 million infected in Spain, and among these, there has been 42,668 deceased.
Currently, Spain has the lowest accumulated incidence figure since the new state of alarm began on October 25 with 267 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. However, although the accumulated incidence continues its downward trend, it is still far from the values that would indicate control in the transmission of the disease.
Daily cases of coronavirus in Spain
MADRID
Last Friday, the Community of Madrid is now the third Spanish community with the lower accumulated incidence in Spain which is very striking and inspirational as at the end of September was the one with the highest incidence with more than 784 cases per 100,000 habitants.
Among the measures taken, this Autonomous State set a maximum capacity in closed spaces of 60% until July 5, while as of July 6 a new de-escalation phase begins in which the capacity will be 75% and at the same time the clubs will reopen. The pools will not have an occupancy limit, as long as the interpersonal distance can be respected. Additionally, there is a limitation of 20 participants for any group activity.
| MADRID | |
| Confirmed Cases (total) | 346 850 |
| New cases | 1 022 |
| Deceased | 11 352 |
| Accumulated Incidence (last 14 days) | 244,35 |
Daily cases in Madrid
CASTILLA Y LEON
The most serious epidemiological situation in Spain continues to be in Castilla y León, with 501,26 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days.
On the positive side, the significant improvement in the provinces in Avila and Segovia allowed them to reopen the doors of cafes, bars, and restaurants. In turn, perimeter confinement was imposed on both provinces.
Meanwhile, the rest of Castilla y León still does not have a specific date for the expiration in the restrictions against the virus. The authorities tend to analyze the data weekly to define the next steps.
| CASTILLA Y LEON | |
| Confirmed Cases (total) | 119 952 |
| New cases | 21 |
| Deceased | 4 487 |
| Accumulated Incidence (last 14 days) | 501,26 |
Daily cases in Castilla y Leon
Rest of Europe
Most European countries are right now facing a second wave constraining some countries to take strict measures to decrease the spread of the virus. According to the World Health Organization, a “tough” six months lies ahead for Europe, which is again the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic.
The continent has recorded more than 17,000,000 Covid-19 casesuntil now. Nevertheless, it seems that the new cases are declining as the lockdowns are successfully curbing the rate of infection.
The five countries that have registered the largest part of infections and deaths are Russia, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Italy.
In Europe, the UK has the highest death toll (57 031), while Russia has the highest number of positive cases (2 215 533).
| Confirmed cases | Daily cases | Total Deaths | |
| Italy | 1,54 M | 28 342 | 53 667 |
| France | 2,2 M | 12 459 | 51 914 |
| UK | 1,59 M | 14 739 | 57 551 |
| Spain | 1,62 M | 10 853 | 44 374 |
| Germany | 1.02 M | 22 806 | 15 640 |
| Worldwide | 61.6 M | – | 1.44 M |
In response to this second outbreak of COVID-19, the most affected countries have taken different measures to control the situation:
In Italy, the measures are tailored on a regional basis. In the whole territory restaurants and bars are obliged to close at 6:00 pm and a curfew varying from 11 pm to 00:00 am.
This week, France begins to ease its restrictions in the country as they have already passed the peak of the second wave. Nevertheless, strict restrictions and social distance guidelines are in place to prevent a third wave of the virus.
The UK doesn’t allow any indoor social meeting unless they are in their support bubble. Travel in the UK or overseas isn’t allowed unless it is for a specific reason like education, work, or caring responsibility.
As mentioned previously, the measures in Spain are made by the respective Autonomous States. Most of them have established a night curfew and perimeter confinements.
There is a partial lockdown in Germany to limit social life and interactions. Bars, restaurants, and gyms are closed but schools and shops remain open. These measures will not be lifted until December 20 at the earliest and some additional restrictions have been introduced.
Vaccine
According to the WHO Europe director, Hans Kluge, although the recent progress on vaccines is promising, they still don’t represent a “silver bullet” and it is important to remember that “the supply will be limited particularly at the beginning”. Thus it is important to maintain social distancing and the wear of masks as these are the best ways to mitigate the spread of the virus. Additionally, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has received criticism for its procedures of testing, seen by many in the scientific and medical community as insufficient and flawed.
These are some of the vaccines that have been developing around the world:
