Spain: record of Covid-19 cases in 24 hours, Omicron almost dominant – South West

The Omicron variant accounted for 47.2% of new cases diagnosed between December 6 and 12, “overtaking” the Delta variant, according to the latest preliminary data from the Spanish health ministry.

A few days before Christmas, the incidence reached 695 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 14 days on Tuesday, while the total of cases reached 5,585,054, including 88,887 deaths since the start of the pandemic in this country of nearly 47 million inhabitants.

New restrictions depending on the region

The government will hold an extraordinary meeting Wednesday with the presidents of regions, competent in health, to consider additional measures in the face of this new wave of Omicron cases.

The region of Catalonia (Barcelona), one of the most populous in the country, announced on Tuesday that it will ask the courts for permission to apply new restrictions, including a curfew from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. and the closing of the discotheques, from the night of Thursday to Friday.

The implementation of the health passport to enter certain public places has spread to several regions in recent weeks.

No more quarantine for vaccinated contact cases

On the other hand, the Ministry of Health recommended Tuesday to no longer impose a quarantine for fully vaccinated people who have been in contact with cases of the Omicron variant, but to limit contact.

Spain is among the countries that vaccinate the most, with 89.7% of those over 12 who are fully vaccinated. The country was also among the first in Europe to launch vaccination for 5-11 year olds on December 15.

The new variant of the coronavirus is spreading at a lightning speed, evidenced by the latest statements from several countries. Omicron is now dominant in Denmark, which also recorded a national 24 hour case record on Tuesday.

According to the French government, more than one in three contamination now seems to be linked to Omicron in Paris, and one in five in the country.