Xàbia suffers another significant rise in new infections

The Generalitat is expected to announce further measures and confinements today.

Update 17

Tuesday 19th January 2021 | 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 seen 105 new positive cases and one death reported since the last update on Friday 15th January. The IA rate1 has crossed the 1,000 mark for the first time since the pandemic began.

Latest Data (17/01/2021)
14-Day Cumulative Rate (IA): 1,010.72 
Positive PCR Tests in the past 14 days: 279 
Total Positive Cases: 887 
Total Deaths: 5

News

The Ministry of Health has confirmed that a new coronavirus outbreak has been detected in Xàbia, the seventh to occur so far in 2021. According to information provided by the Generalitat Valenciana, the outbreak is of education origin and has affected 4 people.

Marina Alta

As has become a regular Tuesday feature, the figures given for the health department as a whole (5,946) doesn’t match the figure when adding up the individual municipalities. The data given below is from the latter source as we feel it gives a better picture at local level.

The Dénia Health Authority, which covers the Marina Alta region, has recorded 882 new infections since the last update, bringing the total to 5,961 positive cases since the crisis began.

There has been 7 new deaths since the last update, bringing the total to 82 since the crisis began.

Latest Data (17/01/2021)
14-Day Cumulative Rate (IA): 1,084.77 
Positive PCR Tests in the past 14 days: 1,867 
Total Positive Cases: 5,961 
Total Deaths: 82 

The 822 new infections have been recorded in the following municipalities:

  • Dénia – 229
  • Benissa – 132 / 1 death
  • Xàbia – 105 / 1 death
  • Calp – 86 / 2 deaths
  • Teulada – 67
  • Pego – 55
  • Orba – 35
  • Pedreguer – 25
  • El Vergel – 24 / 2 deaths
  • Ondara – 23 / 1 death
  • Gata de Gorgos – 15
  • Poble Nou de Benitatxell – 8
  • Beniarbeig – 5
  • Xaló – 4
  • Els Poblets – 3
  • Parcent – 2
  • Adsubia – 1
  • Benidoleig – 1
  • La Vall d’Alcalà – 1
  • Murla – 1

Vall de Gallinera remains the only municipality in the Marina Alta not to have recorded a single positive case.

News

Speaking to Radio Dénia, the director of Marina Salud, Luis Carretero, admitted that the current situation in the Marina Alta is “like we have not had since the beginning of the pandemic”. His words come as it has been revealed that Dénia Hospital has been overwhelmed with patients suffering from the effects of the COVID-19 virus but he stressed that “there is still the capacity to expand if necessary”. Around a dozen people are currently in the COVID ICU ward, there is a second ICU ward for non-COVID patients, and a third ward is available if needed. In the general ward, there are 40 COVID patients, with another ward available for expansion if required. Carretero admitted that he was sure that the current surge in new infections are related to the early December “puente” weekend and the festive period when social interaction was at its greatest and it is hoped that the situation begins to improve the further away we move from Christmas.

Comunidad Valenciana

The 14-day IA rate for the Comunidad Valenciana is now 896.12, an increase of almost 178% in two weeks, whilst the positivity rate2 for the Comunidad Valenciana is 31.25%.

Latest Data (18/01/2021)
(increase or decrease in 14 days)
Total Positive Cases: 210,451 (+58,548) 
Positive Cases in 14 days: 44,840 (+28,697) 
Total Hospitalizations: 19,406 (+3,027) 
Current Hospitalizations: 3,829 (+1,750) 
Current Beds Occupied (Ward): 37.28% 
Current Beds Occupied (ICU): 52.76%

Vaccination Data (18/01/2021)
Doses Available: 94,350 (91,450: Pfizer/BioNtech | 2,900: Moderna)
Doses Administered: 93,635 (99.30%)
Doses Completed: 152

Latest IA Rate by Health Authority (17/01/2021)
 up on 14 days ago
 down on 14 days ago
2,408-59 – Alcoi 
1,547.47 – Xàtiva-Ontinyent 
1,454.40 – La Ribera 
1,320.91 – Elda 
1,277.94 – Requena 
1,084.77 – Dénia 
1,049.50 – Vinaros 
1,039.73 – Valencia Clinic La Malva Rosa 
1,031.44 – Sagunt 
1,014.39 – Valencia La Fe 
939.26 – Valencia Dr.Peset 
939.24 – Valencia Hospital General 
891.82 – La Plana 
817.51 – Elx 
745.81 – La Marina Baixa 
712.88 – Valencia Arnau de Vilanova-Llíria 
646.96 – Castelló 
597.36 – Sant Joan de l’Alacant 
560.38 – Gandía 
414.33 – Alacant Hospital General 
385.12 – Orihuela 
378.26 – Manises 
347.31 – Elx-Crevillent 
89.24 – Torrevieja 

News

It is expected that the Generalitat Valenciana will announce additional measures to combat the spread of the virus throughout the region as records tumble. The Valencian region has reached its highest IA rate since the pandemic began whilst record numbers have been hospitalized, including those admitted to ICU wards. President Ximo Puig has called a meeting for 1.00pm today Tuesday and has already warned that the Generalitat is not afraid to adopt even more restrictive measures if the situation deems it necessary. Whilst total home confinement can only be imposed by central government, the regional authorities can focus on municipalities that are most affected by the spread of the virus, closing them off if necessary. There are 29 municipalities confined at the moment, a measure that is due to expire at midnight on Wednesday 20th January, and it will be up to the Generalitat to decide whether to extend the measures – as seems likely – or to extend them to more municipalities.

Spain

The national 14-day IA rate is now 689.27. The rate has increased by over 153% in the past two weeks.

Latest Data (18/01/2021)
(increase or decrease in 14 days)
Total Positive Cases: 2,336,451 (+377,607) 
Total Deaths: 53,769 (+2,691) 
Current Hospitalizations: 23,184 (+9,726) 
Current % of Hospital Beds occupied by COVID patients: 18.61% 
Current % of ICU Beds occupied by COVID patients: 32.71% 

Vaccination Data (18/01/2021)
Doses Available: 1,143,300 (1,107,600: Pfizer/BioNtech | 35,700: Moderna)
Doses Administered: 897,942 (78,50%)
Doses Completed: 2,315

Latest IA Rate by Autonomous Region (18/01/2021)
 up on 14 days ago
 down on 14 days ago
1,383,62 – Extremadura 
1,081.67 – Murcía 
1006.86 – Castilla-La Mancha 
920.78 – La Rioja 
910.80 – Castilla y León 
896.12 – Comunidad Valenciana 
789.88 – Madrid 
680-49 – Baleares 
645.18 – Melilla 
631.20 – Cataluña 
627.78 – Andalucia 
615.25 – Aragón 
484.20 – Galicia 
418.75 – Ceuta 
385.96 – Navarra 
351.96 – Cantabria 
349.72 – País Vasco 
318.15 – Asturias 
172.52 – Canarias 

News

Spain has suffered the biggest increase in new infections since the beginning of the pandemic ten months ago, 84,287 new cases since last Friday.

Central Government has said that it is willing to discuss modifications to the wording of the ‘state of alarm’ declared last October to allow regional governments to impose earlier curfews in their territories. Currently, the curfew can start between 10.00pm and midnight but regions such as Castilla y León have already declared an 8pm curfew which has led to a legal stand-off. The Región de Murcia has also requested changes to the law to allow them to impose an earlier start to the curfew.

Castilla-La Mancha has declared that every one of its 900 municipalities is being confined for 14 days, with residents only allowed to exit or enter on essential business. In addition, the hospitality sector, shopping centres, social clubs, gyms, theatres and cinemas will be closed for the next two weeks. Premier Emilio García-Page said: “We need to deliver an electric shock to the virus. Our hospitals are not at the breaking point, but we are starting to feel the pressure.”

Andalusia will be sealing 326 municipalities for 14 days from Wednesday whilst all provincial capitals except Sevilla and Jaen will be under perimetral lockdown. Premier Juanma Moreno said: “Contagions in Andalusia … have multiplied at an alarming rate”.

Data Explanation

1 The IA rate is the number of new cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 inhabitants over the past 14 days. It is considered the most accurate measure of the spread of the virus. A rate above 250 indicates an ‘Extreme Risk’ that the infection is spreading. The aim of the Spanish government is to lower this rate to 25.

2 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.

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