Covid 19 Updates

Quarantine Reduced From 10 To 7 Days

Plaza Rosario

The government have agreed that people who test positive and are not showing symptoms only have to quarantine in their homes for 7 days. The agreement was reached today when the government met with all the heads of the autonomous communities.

The rule starts from tomorrow Thursday so anyone who test positive up to midnight tonight will still have to do 10 days. People who test positive from Thursday onwards and have symptoms will still also have complete the 10 days quarantine.

In Andalusia Omicron is now responsible for 75% of all the cases and there continues to be a low clinical incidence from these cases. The hospitalizations are growing but nowhere near like the numbers we have experienced in previous waves. The Andalusian government has asked that traceability of close contacts is prioritized for high-risk people.

The minister for Health & Families in the Junta de Andalusia Jesus Aguirre said “ We must always protect the health of the most vulnerable people, since, although the clinical incidence at this time is not so associated with the number of infections, they continue to be the weakest group of this pandemic.”

Ayamonte declared 23 new cases today and that brings the incidence rate to 1185 still well above the Huelva provincial average of 880, although Huelva capital is on a par with Ayamonte at 1041.

The number of people in Andalusian hospitals with Covid has also grown slightly to 994 of which 169 of those are in intensive care. There were 15 new deaths declared today and with two of those being in Huelva.

Covid Cases Soar Over Christmas

Covid tests

I knew the numbers published today were going to be high as numerous people I know have come down with Covid just before the Christmas and following straight after them have been their partners and or their kids.

On Thursday, I had to take a trip to Portugal to get tests for my workers, as one person had symptoms and eventually tested positive. The trip to Portugal was the only way to get tests as there were none in Ayamonte by midday Thursday 23rd Dec. What followed was testing nine people and of those nine another tested positive. I don’t think there is anyone now in Ayamonte who doesn’t know of someone with Covid such has been the jump in cases. However, it does seem that the symptoms of this strain on vaccinated people is that of Flu and maybe one night with a high temperature and of course fatigue.

Ayamonte declared 90 new cases today and that brings the incidence rate to 1009 well above the Huelva average of 790.

The number of people in Andalusian hospitals with Covid has also grown to 900 of which 150 of those are in intensive care. There were 12 new deaths declared today and with one of those being in Huelva, Ayamonte to be exact. Ayamonte has now seen 11 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

So please look after yourselves, stay safe and we will see you in Ayamonte for 2022.

Sixth Wave Takes Hold Just Before Christmas

New bridge

The numbers have been jumping as the new strain Omicron takes hold in Spain. Andalusia is no different as Huelva, Seville, Cordoba, Jaen, and Malaga all return to level one on the Covid -Map. From Monday 20th December you will be required to show a Covid Certificate to access the interior of bars, restaurants, hotels and leisure facilities. And although masks are not required in exterior spaces they are being recommended.

Ayamonte town has also seen numbers grow in the last couple of days with 9 new cases declared on Thursday followed by 14 on Friday. The incidence rate over 14 days is 171 and when you consider that 30 of the 36 cases have been declared in the last 7 days it is very clear that Ayamonte is now part of the sixth wave.

There is some good news and that is that so far this increase has not seen huge jumps in hospital numbers but as we are in the early stages of the sixth wave, we must not become complacent.

There are currently 531 patients in Andalusian hospitals with Covid of which 99 are in intensive care. In Huelva there are currently 37 people in hospital of which 6 of those are in intensive care.

Bye Bye Covid Restrictions

Level o

As of midnight tonight, Thursday 16 September 2021, most of Andalusia enters level 0, Almeria the only exception as they stay at level 1.

It has taken longer than expected but we are now back to the new normal. When the levels were introduced in May paving the way to the new normal a provisional date of June 21st was touted. Delta more or less made sure that did not happen. However, it is more important that we have finally gotten here.

Maybe a little late in the season for the bars and restaurants but all of these businesses will be delighted to see the limit on number per table disappear and with it the restriction on opening times.

There are currently 205 patients in Andalusian hospitals with Covid of which 59 are in intensive care. In Huelva there are currently 10 people in hospital of which 4 of those are in intensive care. No new deaths have been declared in Andalusia today.

Ayamonte has an incidence level of 80.6 which is higher than the provincial average but also moving in the right direction.

I would like to thank you all for reading the Covid updates over the last 18 months, it has been a pleasure bringing you the necessary information and indeed a greater pleasure that as of today it will be no longer needed. Stay safe, well and hope to see you all back in Ayamonte soon as Ayamonte’ s recovery is in your hands now.

Andalusian Incidence Level Drops Close To 500

BOATS

The Delta strain which is responsible for the majority of new cases in Andalusia seems to have reached its peak and incidence levels are now dropping albeit slowly. Andalusia declared 2,949 new cases today which is the first time 23 days that it has been below the three thousand mark.

There are currently 1,410 patients in Andalusian hospitals with Covid of which 248 are in intensive care. Hospital numbers have increased substantially with the Delta strain and 8.12% of all patients in Andalusian hospitals are Covid patients. While Covid is responsible for 13.47% of all intensive care unit patients, substantially lower than the national average of 21%.

Ayamonte has an incidence level of 734.5 after 14 new cases were declared in the last 24 hours. While the average incidence level for Huelva province has dropped slightly to 592. There is good news in that there have been no new deaths in Huelva with the number staying at 395 and no new patients entering intensive care with Covid.

Delta Strain Takes Grip

Screening

Spain has just breached 600 as the incidence level climbs constantly. Of course, the age group between 12-29 is the most affected as they tend to be the group who move about the most in the summer and they have not had the chance to be fully vaccinated yet. As of 20th July in Andalusia, anyone born before 1998 can book an appointment to be vaccinated on the ClicSalud+ app.

AstraZeneca vaccine is discontinued in Spain. Spain has decided to no longer receive or distribute the AstraZeneca vaccine to its vaccination centres. There are already enough doses of AstraZeneca to complete the vaccination cycle for those people who have received their first jab of AstraZeneca but the vaccine will no longer be offered to new patients. All excess vaccines will be donated to COVAX.

Ayamonte today, has an incidence level of 488 after a weekend where 32 new cases were declared. Earlier between 16.00 and 19.30 a screening of the population in Ayamonte was carried out so hopefully tomorrow we will see the results published. Huelva province now has an incidence level of 357 over the fourteen-day period, which is a jump of 142 in the last week. However, it is important to note that Huelva has not reported a single death to Covid since the 2nd July, the hospital numbers still are low at 26 and only 4 are in intensive care.

There are currently 712 patients in Andalusian hospitals with Covid of which 149 are in intensive care. Hospital numbers have increased but are still at a sustainable level.

Andalusia Sees Increases But Hospitals Not Under Pressure

Ayamonte

Reduced use of masks, more movement, holiday season, kids off school, the Delta variant, could be all, could be any but what is clear is that the incidence levels are jumping all over Spain. Spain on average now has an incidence level of 368.

Ayamonte today has an incidence level of 322 after a weekend where 20 new cases were declared. Our neighbours in Isla Cristina had 32 cases and Lepe had 31. Huelva province now has an incidence level of 215 over the fourteen-day period.

On Friday, Huelva was down to only one patient in intensive care but that has increased again today to three. Ever the optimist I was hoping to report zero today however there is some good news there have been no new deaths to Covid in Huelva and 93 people have recovered. And starting from tomorrow the 29-31 age group can book their appointment for the Covid jab. The 40–69-year-old age group only have 11% left to be vaccinated and the Andalusian health council is offering the Janssen vaccine to anyone in this age group who has not been vaccinated and there is no need to book an appointment.

There are currently 545 patients in Andalusian hospitals with Covid of which 118 are in intensive care. Andalusia is currently not contemplating imposing any new restrictions as the Vice President of the Andalusian, Juan Marin, government said Pressure on hospitals is low and although there is an increase in numbers, we feel the situation is stable and for the moment we are not considering any changes. This stance differs greatly from that of Valencia which has returned to a curfew from 1am to 6am and meetings of 10 people or less.

Easing In Use of Masks

Esuri Golf

Today many people are reporting as the end of masks but this is not the case. There is a easing in the situation where masks are needed but you will still need to carry a mask with you to avoid problems. Many will remember when masks became compulsory in all public spaces that was the 15th July 2020, now with the decrease of incidence levels you don’t need to wear a mask if social distance can be respected.

It is probably best to detail the situations where you no longer are obliged to wear a mask.

  • Outside when the distance between people is 1.5 metres or more.
  • Exterior and Interiors with no limit in distance when the group all live in the same household.
  • Open air events where the public are seated and there is a minimum distance of 1.5 metres.
  • Inside nursing homes where 80% or more of the residents are vaccinated. (Note visitors will still have to wear mask, vaccinated or not).
  • Workplaces for essential workers where 80% or more of the workers are vaccinated.

Or where masks are still obligatory When social distancing of 1.5 metres or less cannot de adhered to.

  • All interior public areas (Museums, libraries etc)
  • Open air events where the public are standing.
  • All public transport.
  • Visitors to nursing homes.

It is important to note that the Andalusian Council still recommends the use of the mask in all public areas and Juan Marin the vice president of the Andalusian council believes that we should continue its use until August when Andalusia will reach 80% of the population fully vaccinated.

Andalusia continues to lead the way in terms of vaccination with over 50% the population have now had at least one vaccination jab. Almost 4.5 million people have received at least one jab and 2.7 million have completed the vaccination cycle.

Huelva declared 76 new cases on Friday and the number of people hospitalized due to Covid is down to 35 of which only 3 are in intensive care. Huelva, Cadiz, and Almeria provinces all have Intensive care unit patient numbers in single digits. There are currently 554 patients in Andalusian hospitals with Covid-19 of which 128 are in intensive care.

Huelva Goes Back To Level Three

Bridges

Huelva has not faired well over the last 10 days with the incidence rates being far superior to the rest of the provinces in Andalusia and at 285.3 per 100,000 inhabitants it means we are at level three moving for high to extreme risk. Andalusia has an average incidence rate of 183 and daily positives are still over a thousand, today there were 1,325 new cases, 144 of those in Huelva. However, when you look at the province town per town you can see that several towns are indeed getting close to the magic number of 50 which would mean the new normal. See chart below for local incidence rates.

The number of people in hospital has dropped to 757 and 183 of those are in intensive care. The number of daily deaths from Covid has dropped also with 6 deaths reported in the last 24 hours and none of those were in Huelva. The pressure on the hospitals is lowering day by day.

JabFriday 4th June saw Andalusia break their own record of vaccination in a single day. A whopping 116,399 people received a jab on Friday, and I am happy to say I was one of the recipients. It must be said that the drive in covid jab service in Ayamonte is excellent. Within three minutes of arriving at the health centre in Ayamonte I had my jab and was directed to the overflow car park for the obligatory 15-minute observation wait. They spoke to me in English which was a surprise and they even told me that my second and final jab was for the 25th June. So by the 5th of July I will be able to get my fully vaccinated Certificate. Could not be happier. So, as you can see, they are currently vaccinating the 40–50-year-old bracket in Ayamonte.

Andalusia is still leading the way in terms of vaccine rollout and with over 5 million doses already administered there are 1.8 million people fully vaccinated. In terms of percentage of the Andalusian population 22.5% are fully vaccinated and 40.2% have received at least one jab.

In Ayamonte we are in level three for the coming week. This means:

  • Bars & Restaurants are permitted to have 4 people per table in interior never exceeding 50% of their capacity. And 6 people per table exterior. They must close at midnight.
  • Festivals, Fairs, Romerias are forbidden.
  • Theatres, Cinema and Concerts can use 60% of their capacity but there must be a free seat between each spectator.
  • Sports Centres & Gyms can use 50% of their capacity interior (groups of 10 or less) and 60% exterior (groups of 15 or less)

Slowing Down But Not As Fast As Expected

Andalusian President Juanma Moreno and Hugh Elliot British Ambassador

The number of positive cases has dropped today to 1,011 cases in Andalusia. The current incident rate 164.74, per 100,000 inhabitants is still in the high risk category however it is now lowering. Huelva however is at 246.9, per 100,000 inhabitants is just under the extreme risk category however with increased vaccination and a provision that it will continue to descend.

Huelva has seen a big increase in hospitalizations up 38 from yesterday to 60 while five of those are in intensive care. Huelva is the only province with Intensive care unit patient numbers in single digits. There are currently 899 patients in Andalusian hospitals with Covid-19 of which 242 are in intensive care.

Ayamonte has also seen a jump in new cases with six new cases being declared today and the incidence rate now up to 80.6. Lepe is in a similar position with a rate of 78.9 while sadly the only death declared today in Huelva was from Lepe.

Andalusia has administered 4,260,163 doses of vaccine to date which is 98.4% of everything they have received. And 1,426,402 people in Andalusia have completed their vaccination cycle which amounts to 16.85% of the population. The age group from 50-60 are currently being called for their first jab and by early June it is expected that the 40-50 group will start.

The President of Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, met with the British Ambassador to Spain and Andorra, Hugh Elliott, in San Telmo Palace in Seville today. In the meeting the President pointed out that by the end of June 75% of the population of Andalusia will have had their full cycle of the vaccine and 100% of over 40’s will have had one jab at least.

Moreno has insisted that Andalusia is fully prepared to open up to tourism with the maximum guarantees for all and has invited Elliott to mediate with the Government of the United Kingdom to point out and convey to them the work that the Andalusian Executive is carrying out to convert to the autonomous community in a safe destination in which to trust. It should be noted that more than three million British people visit Andalusia each year and around 110,000 reside in the community.

President Moreno emphasized that Andalusia will always bet on maintaining fluid, close and good-neighborly relations in all respects with the United Kingdom and that will enrich both territories.

Transition to Normaility Begins

Open

As of midnight 9th May the state of emergency disappears and with it the curfew and the restriction of movement within Spain. Andalusia has announced our path to normality which is set out in three phases:

Phase 1 Stabilization from 9th May to 31st May

Phase 2 Advance from 31st May to 21st June

Phase 3 Normalization 21st June

We will have a look in more detail to the phase of Stabilization which has just started:

  • The state of emergency disappears and with it the curfews.
  • Andalusia opens up it borders for free movement.
  • Bars and restaurants can remain open until midnight and maximum of 8 people per table indoors and 10 outdoors.
  • Celebrations like wedding can have a maximum capacity of 300 indoors and 500 outdoors.
  • Late nite bars and discos can stay open until 2am and have a maximum of 8 people per table indoors and 10 outdoors. Dance floors only in the exterior and mask must be work as long as that municipality is in level 1.
  • Cinema, Theatre, sporting events where the municipality is in level 1-2 there must be an empty seat between spectators and in level 3-4 there must be a minimum distance of 1.5 metres between spectators.
  • Beaches and Swimming pool: No time limits, there will be a specific protection plan in place for the summer season like that of 2020 and a distance of 1.5 metres must be maintained between groups.
  • Only in town over 5,000 with an incidence of over 1,000 will a restriction of mobility be imposed.

Andalusia continues to lead the way in the vaccination plan and have just broken the one million barrier (1,029,757) for people who have completed their vaccination cycle. Andalusia has set a goal that when we enter phase 3 that 70% of the population will have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 40% of the population will have completed their jabs.

President Moreno said that one in every four (26.7%) of the target population in Andalusia has had at least one vaccine jab and completely vaccinated over 10%.

Here are the new rules which will come into law as of Thursday 29th of April and will be inplace until the National State of emergency ends on May 9th.

  • Free movement between all of the eight provinces, however movement in and out of Andalusia will remain restricted.
  • Curfew remains between 23.00 and 06.00 Bars and restaurants will be allowed to stay open until 23.00 as long as clients are home by 23.00 so as not to break curfew.
  • Maximum of 6 people meeting up outside.
  • Maximum of 4 people meeting up inside.
  • In towns or cities where the incidence levels are over 500 they will be locked down but the commercial business hours will remain the same.
  • In towns or cities where the incidence levels are over 1,000 they will be locked down and only essential businesses will remain open.

 

Andalusian provinces have had interprovincial travel restricted since before Christmas and President Moreno said although restrictions will ease from this Thursday that we still need to be cautious and follow the health measures we all know. What we will do now will decide what kind of a summer we will have, there are a lot of life’s and jobs at risk, the virus is still out there so we need to keep calm and begin to enjoy our freedom.

Vaccine Rollout Steps Up

Guadiana River

The number of positive cases has dropped to well under two thousand (1,415) in Andalusia for the first time in five days.The current incident rate 259,19 per 100,000 inhabitants is still in the extreme risk category however it is now lowering.

Huelva has seen an increase in hospitalizations up three from yesterday to 96 while eleven of those are in intensive care. There are currently 1,593 patients in Andalusian hospitals with Covid-19 of which 313 are in intensive care.

Huelva declared 46 new cases today over three times less than yesterdays figures (161) however that included cases from the weekend and there were two new deaths bringing the total to 358 since this pandemic began.

Andalusia has administered 2,261,414 doses of vaccine to date which is 99.3% of everything they have received. And 615,343 people in Andalusia have completed their vaccination cycle which amount to 7.25% of the population. And although the number seems low that is a jump in 0.26% in 24 hours considering that previous days only saw jumps of 0.02-0.03%.

The Janssen single shot vaccine which had been withheld until now will be distributed from tomorrow throughout Spain.

Incidence Rates Jump Over The Weekend

Immunity

The number of positive cases has jumped to over three thousand (3,192) in Andalusia as the incidence rate climbs again to 225,26 per 100,000 inhabitants. Anything above 150 is considered high risk and we are fast approaching the category of extreme risk. Sanlucar de Guadiana which had gone months without a single case has reported 6 in the last fortnight and now has an incidence rate of 744. However, San Bartolome de la Torre almost doubles that with 1,302.

Huelva has also seen an increase in hospitalizations up three from yesterday to 65 while eight of those are in intensive care. There are currently 1,393 patients in Andalusian hospitals with Covid-19 of which 302 are in intensive care. And you can expect these numbers to continue to rise as the aftermath of Easter begins to show.

Huelva declared 200 new cases today but those are the numbers for the weekend and there were no new deaths and no new admissions to intensive care while 41 people have recovered from Covid.

In Spain there have been 10,784,997 vaccines administered since the 27th Dec 2020 and 3,108,437 people have been fully vaccinated. Andalusia leads the way both in distribution of the jab (2,016,380) and people who have complete the vaccination cycle 540,164.

Vaccines Fundamental As Incidence Rates Rise

April Ayamonte

The number of positive cases has crept up again above one thousand (1,008) in Andalusia as the incidence rate climbs slowly to 156,54 per 100,000 inhabitants. It is important to note that the governments’ goal was for the incident rate to move below 25 (new normal) or below 50 (low risk) and that anything above 150 is considered high risk.

Huelva has also seen an increase in hospitalizations up eleven from yesterday to 61 while intensive care numbers remain stable at three. There are currently 1,218 patients in Andalusian hospitals with Covid-19 of which 282 are in intensive care.

Huelva is also experiencing an increase in incidence with numbers growing from 128.2 to 135.4 today. There were 73 new cases in Huelva today with Huelva Capital (14) leading the way followed by Bonares (10) and Almonte 8. Ayamonte had one new case today and the incidence rate here is now down to 56.9.

Huelva had no new admittances to intensive care today and there were no new deaths reported while 239 were declared cured.

This afternoon, the President of Spain, Pedro Sanchez confirmed that he has no intention of extending the state of alarm beyond the 9th of May and according to the governments calculation 70% of the population will be vaccinated by the end of August.

There are currently 2.8 million vaccinated in Spain and according to the government they will reach over 33 million by August. This will involve a serious change in the speed of vaccinations. It has taken three months to get to almost three million and I do understand that over 9.6 million have the first jab but without quadrupling the vaccination numbers in the coming months they will not reach their goal.

In Spain there have been 8,743,694 vaccines administered since the 27th Dec 2020 and 2,852,806 people have been fully vaccinated. Andalusia leads the way both in distribution of the jab (1,648,320) and people who have complete the vaccination cycle 522,041.

The majority of the vaccines distributed are Pfizer/BioNtech 6,470,295 followed by AstraZeneca/Oxford 2,175,700 and finally Moderna 1,044,000. With the time between the first and second jab for AstraZeneca jab being 10-12 only 72 people have completed the cycle.

Also the Janssen single jab vaccine is expected to be approved in the second half of April and Curevac the German vaccine with base in Netherlands is expected to be approved after Janssen.

The Portuguese minister for interior, Eduardo Cabrita, in a press conference today would not be drawn on a date when the border with Spain will be opened up. Curretnly the Spansih government have said that until April 16th at least the borders will be closed. Portugal reviews the situation every fortnight and minister Cabrita did say that the borders with Spain will only be closed while it is strictly necessary. All attention will be on the review mid -April.

Fear Of Fourth Wave As Easter Week Starts

Easter

The number of positive cases dropped below 1,000 (981) for the first time in five days in Andalusia however the last week has seen the incidence rate climb slowly to 134,41 per 100,000 inhabitants. Huelva has also seen a slight increase in hospitalizations while intensive care numbers remain stable. There are currently 960 patients in Andalusian hospitals with Covid-19 of which 242 are in intensive care. Today there are 35 people hospitalized in Huelva hospitals of which 4 are in intensive care. In Spain there have been 7,067,371 vaccines administered since the 27th Dec 2020 and 2,505,842 people have been fully vaccinated. Andalusia leads the way both in distribution of the jab (1,472,070) and people who have complete the vaccination cycle 489,306. The majority of the vaccines distributed are Pfizer/BioNtech 5,797,545 followed by AstraZeneca/Oxford 2,060,500 and finally Moderna 650,400. Andalusia continues to lead the way in the vaccination process. Many people who have private health care here in Ayamonte have asked me what they should do to be on the register for the vaccine. As currently the vaccine is only available via the public health care system you need to register on their system. This means that the majority of people with private health care will have to fill out the form below and this will give them access to the vaccine when it corresponds. On speaking the local Health clinic in Ayamonte I was instructed that only people over the age of 70 need to currently apply as they did not expect to be vaccinating under 70’s until mid-May. Of course, all this could change as the vaccination drive is expected to ramp up with new deliveries in April.

Register

Danger Of Relapse

Immunity

Andalusia reported over one thousand new cases today (1,066), the first time in a week that this has happened. With it being a bank holiday weekend in some parts of Spain this weekend and Easter getting very close new restrictions are in place from midnight tonight.

  • Curfew will be from 23.00 until 06.00.
  • Six people can meet up outside while only four can meet inside.
  • Bars, Shops and restaurants can remain open until 22.30.
  • Travel between provinces and in or out of Andalusia remains restricted.

Huelva province only declared 25 cases in the last 24 hours the lowest in all of the eight provinces however it had 5 of the 40 deaths. Ayamonte had four new cases and one death in the last 24 hours.

There are currently 1,093 patients in Andalusian hospitals with Covid-19 of which 265 are in intensive care. Today there are 27 people hospitalized in Huelva hospitals of which 7 are in intensive care.

In Spain there have been 5,993,363 vaccines administered since the 27th Dec 2020 and 1,886,813 people have been fully vaccinated. Andalusia leads the way both in administering the jab (1,354,820) and people who have complete the vaccination cycle 406,759.

The majority of the vaccines distributed are Pfizer/BioNtech 5,106,465 followed by AstraZeneca/Oxford 1.927,400 and finally Moderna 650,400. Andalusia continues to lead the way in the vaccination process.

Easter Week Restrictions Published

Easter Restrictions

The Official State Bulletin published today (BOE) has outlined what the restrictions will be for 17th March to 21st (San Jose) and 26th March to April 9th (Easter week). It states that although the incidence rates are dropping, they are not near enough to the required 50 per 100,000 to allow measures to be relaxed. Also, the number of beds being occupied by Covid -19 patients in intensive care units is also lowering albeit slowly but at 25% it is still too high.

Here are the restrictions which will be in place:

  • No movement in or out of the autonomous states.
  • Curfew from 23.00 to 06.00.
  • Limit of 4 people meeting up in a closed space and 6 in open areas. In private spaces, meetings will be limited to cohabitants.

 

The Incidence rate has risen slightly today in Ayamonte and we are just below the 100 mark (94.8). It comes after we have had 15 cases in the last week, five of those in the last 24 hours. It is important that we do not relax to avoid any return of harsher restrictions.

There are currently 1,180 patients in Andalusian hospitals with Covid-19 of which 308 are in intensive care.

Today there are 36 people hospitalized in Huelva hospitals of which 7 are in intensive care. Huelva declared the least number of cases in the last 24 hours in Andalusia with 28 new cases and there was one new admission to Hospital. Sadly there were three new deaths ( Lepe, Bollullos, Palos de Frontera).

Only 11 Cases In All Of Huelva Today

Vaccine

While the number of reported cases in Andalusia seems to float around the one thousand-mark (1,239), Huelva province only declared 11 cases in the last 24 hours the lowest in all of the eight provinces.

There are currently 1,457 patients in Andalusian hospitals with Covid-19 of which 355 are in intensive care. Today there are 59 people hospitalized in Huelva hospitals of which 9 are in intensive care. Pressure is finally easing on the hospitals and Huelva is back down to single digits in the intensive care units.

In Spain there have been 4,4715,77 vaccines administered since the 27th Dec 2020 and 1,342,485 people have been fully vaccinated. Andalusia leads the way both in administering the jab (878,194) and people who have completed the vaccination cycle 244,049.

The majority of the vaccines distributed are Pfizer / BioNtech 4,026,055, followed by AstraZeneca / Oxford 1,169,800 and finally Moderna 387,600. Andalusia continues to lead the way in the vaccination process with 86% of all the vaccines they have received being administered.

Many of you will know that my wife is a secondary school teacher in Isla Cristina. As teachers are a sector which are currently being vaccinated yesterday evening, I drove Tere to the vaccination centre in Aljaraque. The reason I am telling you all this is so you will know exactly what will happen when you are called for the vaccination.

You are given a time to arrive at the vaccination centre and at the front there was a policeman directing you exactly where to go. Then they ask who is for vaccination in the car and ask that person for their identification. You then pull forward to the vaccination point, roll down your window and roll up your sleeve on your non-dominant arm. It is over in a flash.

Then you are directed to a parking area where you must wait for 15 minutes to ensure you have no adverse reaction. If you have allergies you are asked to wait 30 minutes. In Tere’s case it was the AstraZeneca vaccine so in 10-12 weeks she has to go back for the second jab.

I have to say that the way it was all organised was perfect, from meeting the policeman at the front to getting the jab took about two minutes. No delays, no problems and everyone really helpful. Can’t wait until I get called for mine.

Masks are Compulsory In All Public Spaces

Esuri Golf

In Andalusia as of midnight tonight (15th July 00.00) the use of masks is compulsory in public spaces.

The only exceptions to this rule are:

• When you are among family members or same household.

• If you are doing sport in open air.

• You have a prescription from the doctor that says you cannot wear a mask.

• Pools and beaches while swimming or if you are staying in the one spot (You must wear while walking or moving from one area to another.

Fines of €100 will be imposed on those people not following the new regulations.

The news comes as Huelva has reported two new positive cases today, one in Moguer and the other in Niebla. This brings the total cases in Huelva to 422 since the beginning of the pandemic which means that Huelva remains the province with the lowest incidence of Covid19 in Andalusia, the next best province is Almeria with 671 cases.

Update July 11th Huelva Only One Patient in Hospital

July Ayamonte

Time for an update on how we are getting on in the area and Andalusia as a whole. There are currently 42 patients in Andalusian hospitals with Covid-19 and eight of these are in intensive care.

     Province             Total Hospitalised         Total in Intensive care     
     Almeria                   8                        2
     Cadiz                   6                        1
     Cordoba                   4                        2
     Granada                  12                        2
     Huelva                   1                        0
     Jaen                   0                        0
     Malaga                   8                        0
     Seville                   3                        1

Huelva now only has one patient in hospital and no one in intensive care, similarly Jaen & Malaga have no patients in intensive care. The focus now is clearly on outbreaks and Granada has 10 of the 17 outbreaks, the outbreak in Huelva after 2 weeks with no new cases has been declared finished and is no longer listed with the Andalusian Health service.

The results of the third round of immunity of the Spanish population to Covid19 were published earlier this week and the national average is just 5.2%. Huelva has the lowest incidence with only 1.2% so four times less than the national average. In the third round, a sample of 962 people were tested in Huelva and it confirms the low infection rate. There have only been 420 positive cases Huelva since the start of the pandemic. Almeria is the second lowest with 623 however they have declared an outbreak today and an increase of 31 cases.

I maintain my opinion that the privileged location that we have here in Huelva with sea, natural parks and the river Guadiana surrounding us provide natural borders which have curtailed the spread of the virus. That said we are a holiday destination and we need to keep our guard up as this virus is still with us.

Huelva Declares No Cases For Second Day

Punta del Moral

The latest update for Andalusia which corresponds to 10 am this morning shows that there are no new positives in the Lepe area for the second day in a row. After over two hundred PCR tests and no new positive in the last 48 hours the Andalusian Health service have declared this outbreak under control. In Lepe 140 people have been confined as a precautionary measure after they came into close contact with one of the 10 positive cases. There are currently 10 outbreaks in Andalusia of which four are already deemed under control.

In Andalusia, the number of confirmed cases is now 13,083 (+19) of which 6,327(+3) have needed hospitalisation and 780 (+0) have needed intensive care. As of 07.00 today there are 41(-2) patients confirmed with Covid-19 in hospital and 11 (-1) of those are in intensive care.

In Andalusia with 15,386 (+3) patients recovered, the hospitals are as follows please note that the total of patients hospitalised includes those in intensive care

     Province             Total Hospitalised         Total in Intensive care     
     Almeria                   2                        0
     Cadiz                   7                        1
     Cordoba                   3                        1
     Granada                  12                        5
     Huelva                   2                        2
     Jaen                   0                        0
     Malaga                  11                        1
     Seville                   4                        1

There have been 1,438 (+0) deaths in Andalusia (Malaga 287 (+0), Jaen 188 (+0) , Granada 286 (+0), Cordoba 116 (+0) , Cadiz 171 (+0), Seville 289 (+0), Almeria 53 (-0) , Huelva 48 (+0). In Seville there are 2,503 cases and 1,214 of those required hospitalization with 153 in intensive care. There have been 289 deaths while 2,872 have recovered.

In Huelva there are 418 cases, No new cases today, 223 have been hospitalized with 31 in intensive care. No new deaths were reported today, so total stays at 48 people. The good news is 480 have recovered from the virus

International Bridge Opens July 1st

International Bridge

The International bridge between Spain and Portugal will open tomorrow for the first time since March. The move comes as Spain and Portugal open up their borders however the Ferry Link between Ayamonte and Vila Real de Santo Antonio will remain closed for the moment. As the ferries have to pass various inspections which could not be carried out during lockdown. Normal service will resume as soon as these inspections have been completed.

Huelva has again reported no new cases today and the Lepe outbreak is deemed under control like 6 other of the 10 outbreaks reported in Andalusia. There have been rumours on Internet about outbreaks in various towns which have all been unfounded. Facebook messages and WhatsApp messages from unknown sources are to be treated with caution. The Andalusian Health Council publishes a comprehensive report daily on this site: https://www.sspa.juntadeandalucia.es/servicioandaluzdesalud/ and it has been the main source that Infoayamonte has used for the past three months.

InfoAyamonte will no longer be doing daily updates due to personal work commitments, that said should there be any major development or new law / Regulation that is to come into force it will be published.

In Andalusia, the number of confirmed cases is now 13,137 (+22) of which 6,331(+3) have needed hospitalisation and 780 (+0) have needed intensive care. As of 07.00 today there are 46 patients confirmed with Covid-19 in hospital and 12 of those are in intensive care.

In Andalusia with 15,398 (+11) patients recovered, the hospitals are as follows please note that the total of patients hospitalised includes those in intensive care

     Province             Total Hospitalised         Total in Intensive care     
     Almeria                   2                        0
     Cadiz                   8                        1
     Cordoba                   5                        2
     Granada                  12                        4
     Huelva                   2                        2
     Jaen                   0                        0
     Malaga                  13                        1
     Seville                   4                        2

There have been 1,439 (+0) deaths in Andalusia (Malaga 287 (+0), Jaen 188 (+0) , Granada 287 (+1), Cordoba 116 (+0) , Cadiz 171 (+0), Seville 289 (+0), Almeria 53 (-0) , Huelva 48 (+0). In Seville there are 2,503 cases and 1,214 of those required hospitalization with 153 in intensive care. There have been 289 deaths while 2,876 have recovered.

In Huelva there are 418 cases, No new cases today, 223 have been hospitalized with 31 in intensive care. No new deaths were reported today, so total stays at 48 people. The good news is 480 have recovered from the virus

Huelva Reports No New Cases Today

Esuri Golf

The latest update for Andalusia which corresponds to 10 am this morning shows that there are no new positives in the Lepe area, patient zero in this outbreak remains in the intensive care unit of Santa Elena hospital Huelva and the 9 other confirmed cases have not been hospitalised and remain isolated in their homes. The outbreak has not been confirmed under control yet as numerous PCR tests have taken place today.

In Andalusia, the number of confirmed cases is now 13,064 (+45) of which 6,324(+2) have needed hospitalisation and 780 (+1) have needed intensive care. As of 00.00 today there are 43(+1) patients confirmed with Covid-19 in hospital and 12 (+1) of those are in intensive care.

In Andalusia with 15,383 (+24) patients recovered, the hospitals are as follows please note that the total of patients hospitalised includes those in intensive care

     Province             Total Hospitalised         Total in Intensive care     
     Almeria                   2                        0
     Cadiz                   7                        1
     Cordoba                   5                        1
     Granada                  10                        5
     Huelva                   2                        2
     Jaen                   1                        1
     Malaga                  11                        1
     Seville                   5                        1

There have been 1,438 (+2) deaths in Andalusia (Malaga 287 (+0), Jaen 188 (+0) , Granada 286 (+0), Cordoba 116 (+1) , Cadiz 171 (+2), Seville 289 (+0), Almeria 53 (-0) , Huelva 48 (+0). In Seville there are 2,503 cases and 1,214 of those required hospitalization with 153 in intensive care. There have been 289 deaths while 2,872 have recovered.

In Huelva there are 418 cases, No new cases today, 223 have been hospitalized with 31 in intensive care. No new deaths were reported today, so total stays at 48 people. The good news is 480 have recovered from the virus