13 new infections in Xàbia; 64 in the Marina Alta

Friday 11th December 2020 | MIKE SMITH

This is the latest information on the status of the health situation in Xàbia, the Marina Alta, the Comunidad Valenciana and across Spain.

For more information, please refer to the links given at the bottom of the page as our report is based on the official figures given in these sources.

Xàbia

Xàbia has recorded 13 new infections confirmed by PCR test since the last update with the total number of infections rising to 273 since the crisis began. The 14-day cumulative rate (IA) has risen, now standing at 126.79 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants. The death toll remains at 3.

A new outbreak was recorded in Xàbia this week, one of 62 recorded across the Comunidad Valenciana. It affects 5 people and is of work origin. No further details have been made available.

Marina Alta

The Dénia Health Authority, which covers the Marina Alta region, which comes under the umbrella of the Alcoi Health Authority), has recorded 64 new infections since the last update, bringing the total to 2,156 positive cases* since the crisis began.

The 14-day IA rate has risen to 110.05 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants and it has been rising since the end of November. The rate remains one of the lowest rate in the whole Comunidad Valenciana, after La Marina Baixa (105.23) and Torrevieja (69.28).

The death toll in the Marina Alta remains at 38.

The 64 new infections have been recorded in the following municipalities:

• Calp – 17
• Dénia – 16
• Xàbia – 13
• Pedreguer – 5
• Pego – 5
• El Vergel – 2
• Ondara – 2
• Teulada – 2
• Gata de Gorgos – 1
• Llíber – 1

* This update for Dénia includes La Vall d’Alcalà which appears to have been re-added to the health authority, despite previously falling within the scope of Alcoi. This skews the data slightly as a direct addition makes 65 new infections but the individual municipality count makes 64. Hopefully the data will correct itself at the next update due on Tuesday 15th December.

Comunidad Valenciana

The data for the Comunidad Valenciana confirms that the region still has the highest COVID-19 positivity rate* in the country – 13.58% – which is more than double the national average. However, the figure has generally been falling in the region since it topped out at more than 18.3% on November 12th which means that fewer positive cases are being found by testing.

A general improvement is also reflected in the 14-day IA rate for the region which has dropped to 199.15 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants., dropping below the 200 mark for the first time late October.

Regional Health Minister Ana Barceló has called on the population of the region to be careful and comply with all the measures that have been put in place for the festive period. “We want to have many more Christmases together, we do not want them to be the last for some people,” she said, warning that her department would not hesitate to modify the restrictions if the situation worsens when the figures for the December puente weekend are available next week. “If the situation changes, I will not hesitate to modify the measures already approved. The important thing is that we continue to maintain the drop in figures. If we find ourselves with an abrupt rise in the number of infections, we will have to adopt measures “.

* The positivity rate refers to the percentage of all COVID-19 tests carried out which have come back positive. A high figure means that it doesn’t take many tests to come across a positive result.

Spain

The 14-day IA rate is now officially in a “downward trend” and stands at 188.72 new infections in 14 days per 100,000 inhabitants, the lowest it has been since the end of August. However, the country is still a long way from reaching the government’s goal of just 50 per 100,000, and there are concerns that the Christmas season will lead to a new rise in cases and possibly even a third wave of infections. Fernando Simón, director of the government’s Coordination Centre for Health Alerts (CCAES), warned that “We cannot allow ourselves to relax”. 

UK removes the Canary Island from travel corridor list

From 4.00am on Saturday 12th December, travellers arriving in the UK from the Canary Islands will need to self-isolate for two weeks after concerns about rising cases and positive tests in the archipelago. However, in a new initiative to be launched by the UK next week, that isolation may be reduced if a private coronavirus test is carried out at the individual’s own cost.

Resource Links

COVID-19 C.Valenciana: Monitorage de la Situació
Ministero de Sanidad: Actualización nº 268 (10/12/2020)
El Pais