Lowest Covid-19 transmission rate since November

The Covid-19 transmission rate – the number of people each positive case is transmitting the virus to –  dropped to 0.86 as of February 7, the lowest it has been since November 30.

This fall comes as other main indicators of pandemic also begin to drop as the measures following the start of the third wave begin to take effect.

The outbreak risk fell to 405 in the iEPG index – calculated by multiplying the average spread of the virus over the past seven days by the cumulative incidence over the past two weeks.

The outbreak risk is considered to be low at 30, moderate at 70, high at 100 and very high at 200, the data as of February 7 are still high, but figures had not fallen to such levels since the very beginning of January. 

As of new diagnoses, February 6 saw the lowest number of positive cases identified in a day since early January with 1,288 by PCR tests and 1,249 the following day. 

Deaths also seem to be decreasing, although much more gradually than the other main statistics, with 53 new deaths on February 7.

However, hospitalization numbers, both general admissions and ICU, continue to rise and fall periodically, with an increase since February 6. On February 7, there were 694 and 2,835 patients respectively. 

Easing of Covid-19 measures

An easing of the Covid-19 measures was announced on Thursday 4, February, enforced on Monday, following the slight change in coronavirus levels.

Bars and restaurants have been allowed to extend by one hour their times of operation at breakfast and lunch, the municipal lockdown was extended to county level, whilst book shops have been included in cultural activities, and allowed to open at weekends.

On Friday, Catalan health secretary Josep Maria Argimon said that he believes that "most" of the Covid-19 restrictions currently in place should be extended beyond February 7, and that "more drastic measures" could be required if the spread of the British variant leads to a spike in cases.

Authorities hope that the vaccine rollout will help keep figures on their steady fall, as a new vaccination plan was announced on Friday, with Alba Vergés, health minister, announcing that the system was ready for 150,000 daily doses.