Thousands of Irish holidaymakers will be jetting off on their summer breaks to Spain over the coming weeks, just as Covid is set to peak.
However, like several other European countries, the holiday hotspot is currently in the midst of a significant upswing in Covid infections.
There has been a huge rebound in infections over the past seven days, with 68,186 cases reported to the Ministry of Health on Friday, June 24.
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The number of cases increased by almost 20,000 from those recorded on the same day the week previous (48,272). The areas with the highest infection rates included Madrid, the Canary Islands and La Rioja. They once again have exceeded the 1000 case barrier.
Andalucia remains at the bottom of the list with just 257.40 cases per 100,000, while the Region of Murcia has seen a considerable increase to more than 500 cases.
Meanwhile, the Valencian Community remains below the Spanish national average, with 495.85 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, Experts have warned that Spain is now in the thick of its seventh wave of the virus, although “almost no patients are admitted to the ICU anymore”.
The head of Internal Medicine at the Infanta Leonor Hospital, Dr June Torres, said: “We are in full swing and we won’t reach the peak for three weeks.”
The current wave in Spain is said to mainly affect older people, especially those over 80 with preexisting health conditions. Dr Torres said those who are vulnerable “have to continue protecting themselves” as “the pandemic is not over”.
There are currently over 8,000 patients being treated for Covid in hospitals throughout Spain. Occupation of beds and ICU places have also seen a slight increase.
Holidaymakers have been urged to remain vigilant as most Covid patients will present with mild or no symptoms, which has led to people not being as careful as they should be.
The expert warned that the two new strains of Omicron, BA.4 and BA.5, which have caused the current wave in Spain, are continuously changing, and so health measures such as washing hands must be maintained.
According to Spain’s Ministry of Health, no difference in severity has been noted in the new strains. However, a slight increase in hospital occupancy was recorded in the latest data.
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