Madrid, Dec. 28 (BUS): Spain’s coronavirus infection rate exceeded 1,000 cases per 100,000 people for the first time on Monday, affected by the fast-spreading Omicron, although hospitals were under much less stress than in previous waves of the pandemic.
The rate, measured over the previous 14 days, rose to 1,206 after the Christmas holiday weekend, according to Health Ministry data. That compares with the 911 reported on Thursday, when it first surpassed the previous record of 900 cases in late January.
The statistic has not been updated since Thursday, and it has added 214,619 new cases to the 5,932,626 cases recorded since the start of the pandemic, according to Reuters.
The ministry added 120 deaths to the death toll from the Corona virus since Thursday, bringing the total number to 89,139. Daily deaths were hovering below 100, sharply lower than about 1,000 at the height of the first wave last year or about 600 last January, when Vaccination against COVID-19 had just begun.
The occupancy rate of hospitals with coronavirus patients rose to 7.69% from 6.4% on Thursday, remaining well below the 24% recorded in late January. Intensive care occupancy was 18.26% after 43% in January.
“It is clear that we will see higher numbers of infections but not hospitalizations and intensive care units compared to previous waves,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told reporters earlier on Monday, citing Spain’s high vaccination rate and urging Spaniards to continue taking recommended doses.
With nearly 80% of its population fully vaccinated and a booster program ramping up, Spain has largely escaped the rampant wave of infections that led many northern European countries to tighten restrictions in the fall.
HF