All the islands stay at current alert level restrictions for at least another week

After analyzing the evolution of epidemiological data, the Ministry of Health has agreed today (Thursday August 19^th) that all the islands are to continue at the same alert level for at least the next week. This means that Tenerife and Gran Canaria stay at level 4; Fuerteventura, at level 3; La Palma, Lanzarote and La Graciosa at level 2; and La Gomera and El Hierro at level 1.

This decision is based on the report of the General Directorate of Public Health which highlights the downward trend of all the pandemic indicators except for occupancy of ICU beds by Covid patients.

The report highlights that 2,460 cases were reported between August 11th and 17th, which represents a decrease in the daily average of the number of new cases of 37% compared to the previous week. All the islands have followed this pattern, except Lanzarote which has remained stable.

In relation to the rates of IA7 in the population aged 65 and over, a decrease is observed both in the islands as a whole (high risk) and in each island except Lanzarote where it has increased, with respect to the previous week although it has dropped in the last 2 days. Despite the general decline, in Tenerife the rate is still at very high risk, it is high risk in Gran Canaria and medium in Fuerteventura, with the rest of the islands low or very low risk.

Regarding the coronavirus variants that are circulating in the Canary Islands, according to the data of the last epidemiological week, it is estimated that 89.4% of cases are now due to the Delta variant, the most transmissible and deadly one around.

Covid-19 hospital bed occupancy:
The number of beds in wards occupied by Covid-19 patients is in decline on the islands, and as a whole, it has gone from a daily average of 339 occupied beds to 291. The percentage of occupancy is at low risk or very low in all the islands except Tenerife.

However, the number of ICU beds occupied by Covid patients has continued to increase when compared to the previous week. The Canaries as a whole has gone from an average of 100 occupied ICU beds to an average of 106 in the last week. The greatest increase is observed in Gran Canaria with 4 more beds on average occupied compared to the previous week, and in Lanzarote with one more occupied bed. Regarding the indicator, the percentage of occupancy in ICUs is at very high risk in Tenerife and at high risk in Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. In the rest of the islands, this indicator is at very low risk.

The report of the General Directorate of Public Health states that “it must be taken into account that in this fifth wave a greater risk of infection was attributed to young people, however, the passage of weeks and the limitations imposed on containment measures have contributed to the spread of the infection to the family, work and social environments of other age groups.

At first, the average age of people admitted to conventional beds and the ICU fell and younger people had to be assisted in hospitals. This pattern is what has been observed in recent weeks. Now, after the older age groups have been exposed and affected, and the incidence rate declining, although it is still at high risk.

The median age of all people hospitalized for Covid-19 in the last 15 days is 62 years old, and in ICU it is 57 years old. In addition, 24% of those admitted to the ICU in the last 15 days are between 12 and 39 years old.

It should be noted that of the 253 people admitted to conventional beds in the last two weeks, 64% were unvaccinated, a figure that in the case of those admitted to ICU increases to 81%.

Covid related deaths:
The number of daily deaths has been increasing for four weeks. In the Canary Islands as a whole, the daily average of deaths in the week between July 21st and 27th was two; the week between July 28th and August 3rd was 3; Between August 4th and 10th, the daily average is 4 deaths (26 deaths in total) and this last week, between August 12th and August 17th, the highest figure was recorded: 7 deaths in one day. There have been 27 deaths in the last 7 days. 75% of those who died in the last 15 days were 68 years old or older.