COSTA COVID-19 FIGURES RELIEF
Number of new cases drop and no deaths reported in four days
THE COSTA Blanca and the entire Valencia region are more optimistic about reaching the 'new normality' after no deaths by Covid-19 have been reported in the region for four days now.
There are 60 coronavirus patients currently being cared for in hospitals in Alicante province (11 still in ICUs) and almost 350,000 tests have been carried out in the region so far.
Despite the improvement, the regional government has once again preferred to show caution and will not be requesting phase three status for the region for next week - preferring to fulfil the initially established twoweeks per phase (the region began phase two on Monday, June 1).
Meanwhile central government has given further grounds for optimism by suggesting freedom of movement throughout Spain (meaning domestic tourism relaunches) could be reestablished when the current state of emergency ends on June 21.
VALENCIA president Ximo Puig has opted not to ask the ministry of health for the region’s provinces – Alicante, Valencia and Castellón – to advance to phase three of the government’s exit plan on Monday (June 8).
This means the area will remain in phase two at least until June 15.
Sr Puig said the regional health department wanted to assess the impact that the move into phase two has had, with shopping centres opening and reduced numbers of customers allowed inside bars and restaurants. He noted that although the indications are that the recovery from the virus is ‘very positive’, they will continue to act with the ‘maximum caution’.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had stated on Sunday that most of Spain could move into phase three of the exit plan on June 8 – and regional governments would be permitted to reduce the length of this final phase to less than two weeks. On Wednesday Parliament voted to extend the state of emergency for two weeks until June 21, with the PM stating that this would be the final one.
Being prepared
Speaking during a visit to the Feria Valencia on Wednesday, where the region’s stores of healthcare material are being kept, Sr Puig underlined the need for ‘prevention’.
He noted that they have managed to purchase enough equipment to last six months.
“It is vital to have material to face up to any possible new outbreak,” he said.
Sr Puig noted that planes and cargo ships have brought in a wealth of supplies and local industries have also been converted to produce essential items. As a result they have a stock which includes around 100 million pairs of gloves, 60 million face masks, six million protection suits and two million protective hats.