Spain reports 9,906 new coronavirus cases and 203 deaths

New coronavirus cases continue to be registered in the thousands during this second wave of the epidemic in Spain. On Tuesday, the central Health Ministry reported 9,906 new infections. While this number is very high, it is actually a fall in the number of new daily infections. Nearly three weeks ago the regions reported at least 10,000 new daily cases, reaching as many as 12,272 cases on Friday. Several days will need to pass before it can be confirmed whether this represents a change in trend in the number of new infections.

The Madrid region continues to be the epicenter of the pandemic in Spain, with a third of new infections despite accounting for 14% of the country’s population.

The total death toll is now 31,614, which is 2,600 more than just a month ago

The cumulative incidence of cases per 100,000 inhabitants over the last two weeks also continues to grow. A month ago, the national average was below 200. On Tuesday, it came in at 294 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In Madrid, the figure is as high as 784 – nearly double what was seen a month ago.

The second-most affected region is Navarre, which has a cumulative incidence of 686, the same rate registered in Madrid 10 days ago. La Rioja is next, with 464, followed by the two regions that border Madrid: Castilla-La Mancha (427) and Castilla y León (398).

On the other end of the scale are the Canary Islands, Valencia (108) and Galicia (111). This is a positive situation compared with the rest of Spain, but the same incidence rate as the United Kingdom (102), where new restrictions have been approved. The numbers are far higher than the rates in countries such as Italy (37) and Germany (31).

Fatalities related to Covid-19 are also on the rise in Spain, with 203 new deaths reported on Tuesday – the highest figure for seven days. More than half, 107, correspond to the Madrid region. The total death toll is now 31,614, which is 2,600 more than just a month ago. There are also thousands of coronavirus deaths that the Health Ministry has not included in this data given that PCR tests were not carried out on victims before they died.

The ministry also reported 900 new hospital coronavirus patients, and 29 new admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU).

English version by Simon Hunter.