Fuerteventura level 3, Lanzarote falls to level 1 with Tenerife and Gran Canaria

The Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands has updated the health alert levels after reviewing the epidemiological report from the Public Health Committee, with consolidated data up to December 1^st.

Subsequently, they have announced that Fuerteventura is raised to Level 3, Lanzarote goes down to Level 1, and Tenerife and Gran Canaria stay at Level 1 with La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro. The change in level in Fuerteventura comes into effect as of 00.00H on Monday (December 6^th).

In the entire region of the Canary Islands, between November 23rd and 29th, 2,141 new cases of COVID-19 were reported, which represents an increase of around 26.2% in the daily average of new cases in relation to the previous week, in which 1,696 cases were registered.

The average 7-day incidence rate in the Canary Islands as a whole, and by islands, increased by around 21%, so that, from a daily average of 81.20 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, it went to 98.40 cases in the last week. The greatest rise is observed on the island of Fuerteventura. All the islands are at a medium risk level, except Fuerteventura, which is at a high-risk level, while La Gomera and El Hierro are at a low and very low-risk level.

The daily average 14-day incidence rate increases to a greater or lesser extent in all the islands, and therefore, in the archipelago as a whole, and rises to high risk. Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote are at a high-risk level; Tenerife, La Gomera, and La Palma are at medium risk, and El Hierro is in controlled circulation.

The evolution of the accumulated incidents responds to the general relaxation in the maintenance of non-pharmacological preventive measures (masks, physical distance, ventilation, hand washing) despite the fact that their efficacy has been amply demonstrated. Therefore, the Ministry of Health insists on the need to maintain preventive measures to avoid risks of transmission of COVID-19: use of a mask perfectly covering the nose and mouth when indicated, especially indoors; respect for social distancing; maintain cross ventilation, and hand hygiene.

HOSPITAL PRESSURE:
Regarding healthcare indicators, the daily average of hospital beds in wards occupied during the last week by COVID-19 patients increased by 22.7% compared to the previous week, with an average of 173 beds occupied, although the percentage of occupancy it is at a low risk level on all of the islands, except for La Palma and El Hierro, which are at very low risk.

The number of occupied ICU beds maintains the upward trend that began three weeks ago, with an average in the islands as a whole of 35 occupied beds in the last week, an occupancy percentage of 7% and low risk. Most of the islands continue to have a very low risk level in ICU bed occupancy, except Tenerife and Gran Canaria, which are at low risk, and Fuerteventura, which is at high risk.

CHANGE IN INDICATORS FOR RISK ASSESSMENT:
The report also details that in the case of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, both islands are at alert Level 1, since on November 23rd the Public Health Commission approved the document of Indicators for risk assessment and alert levels transmission of COVID, which made the thresholds for level changes higher, in the indicators of Block I, related to the spread of the virus in the community, and gives greater prominence to Block II indicators, related to healthcare pressure.

For this reason, although for the last 4 weeks both islands have experienced a constant and progressive increase in all the indicators of both blocks, especially in Block I, they do not exceed the thresholds established for Block II in that document.

Therefore, although Gran Canaria and Tenerife are the islands that would be closest to a level increase, they do not yet meet criteria for this, and the data indicates that both may continue at alert Level 1, although they point to a level increase in the next evaluation if the upward trend of the indicators continues.