Spain to reduce quarantine to 7 days for Covid positive cases

Spain’s health ministry and territories have unanimously approved reducing the quarantine period of Covid-19 positive cases to seven days, down from 10.

The decision was made on Wednesday during the Public Health Committee just before the Interterritorial Health Council meeting.

The new rule has been approved in the middle of the sixth wave of the pàndemic. In the last week, Catalonia and the rest of Spain have recorded new record high daily coronavirus cases due to the much more transmissible Omicron variant.

From now on, those who test positive for Covid-19 will be able to reduce their quarantine periods to seven days.

Those who are self-isolating because they have been in close contact with a Covid positive case will be able to reduce quarantine also to seven days. Right now, in Catalonia, only those not vaccinated are required to self-isolate if they are close contacts.

Omicron variant dominant

Catalonia's health authorities also announced that nearly 100% of new Covid-19 cases are now of the Omicron variant.

The department of health estimate that Omicron became the dominant strain in Catalonia from around December 17. 

However, Cabezas also explained that the probability of being admitted to hospital as a result of the latest Covid-19 strain is less than the previous one, Delta. The health general secretary also added that the probability of requiring intensive care is also lowered. 

Covid-19 record numbers

The arrival of the Omicron variant in Catalonia has skyrocketed all epidemiological numbers recorded by health authorities. In the last week, Catalonia has registered 109,671 new Covid cases.

On December 27, new daily cases reached an all-time high of 24,006. One day later, the number reduced to 22,972 new cases, a lower amount but still the second-highest figure since the pandemic began.

The incidence rate is also reaching levels never seen before. On December 28 it reached 1,591.42 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days, a new record that surpasses the previous one, a day earlier, of 1,513.37.