Catalonia again adds more than 3,000 infections and predicts "complicated weeks"

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The coronavirus pandemic has left about 290,000 cases and 7,000 deaths in the world during the last day and already reaches the 111,720,297 million infected global and 2.47 million deaths, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University in the latest update of its balance sheet. A total of with 63.018 million people have recovered of covid-19.

The United States appears as the country most affected in total figures, with 28.1 million cases and already exceeds 500,310 deaths, ahead of India, with 11 million infections and 156,463 deaths, and Brazil, with 10.19 million cases and 247,143 deaths, respectively. Mexico is the third country with the most deaths from covid-19, with 180,536, although it ranks as thirteenth in the number of infections.

This Monday, the Ministry of Health has communicated 20,849 new infections detected since last Friday, so the number of people affected by coronavirus in Spain already exceeds the 3.1 million since the beginning of the pandemic.

For its part, the cumulative incidence rate (AI) —the number of cases diagnosed per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days— continues its downward trend and stands at 252,19, a marked downward trend that, after the weekend, should now be confirmed in the coming days. Eleven autonomous communities are below the AI ​​threshold of 250. The official death toll from covid-19 in Spain already reaches 67,636 people.

(The keys to buying the correct mask, according to the nurses)

23:30 – Modern pharmaceutical company said on Wednesday that it has completed the booster dose designed for the variant of coronavirus that was initially discovered in South Africa, and that it has sent the material to the competent authorities to start the first phase of clinical trials.

Moderna will begin clinical trials of its dose against the South African variant

EFE

19:43 – The Ministry of Health and the regional governments have agreed to work on the development of a common document that include restrictive measures to contain the coronavirus for Easter, as reported by the head of Health, Carolina Darias.

At the press conference after the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System, Darias explained that this body has ordered a work of proposals in relation to to the measures to be adopted at Easter.

Darias, on saving Easter: "It should not be raised until the incidence drops below 50"

M. L.

18:49 – The Senate of Italy has approved this Wednesday with 235 votes in favor and 23 against a resolution that supports the new Decree of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, which will extend the restrictions for control the pandemic until after Easter.

The internal fight of the WHO that symbolizes everything that Italy did wrong in the face of the pandemic

Irene Savio. Rome

18:44 – Catalonia is still looking for the balance between the health emergency derived from the coronavirus pandemic and social and economic activities one year after the detection of the first coronavirus case in the community.

On February 25, 2020, the Ministry of Health confirmed the first case in Catalonia: a 36-year-old woman of Italian origin that tested positive after a trip to Italy, specifically to the northern part of the country, one of the most affected during the first outbreak in Europe.

18:35 – The Government of Aragon has confirmed 211 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in the autonomous community, corresponding to the results of 2,835 diagnostic tests, known this Tuesday, February 23, and has 423 beds occupied by people with coronavirus, 77 in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and 346 in the plant.

18:24 – LAST MINUTE | The autonomous communities have administered a total of 3,284,678 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines until this Wednesday (119,487 of them in the last 24 hours). This represents 72.8 percent of those distributed, which they amount to 4,508,845 units, 886,680 more than yesterday.

In addition, a total of 1,221,183 people They have already received the second dose from which immunity begins to be generated, 12,878 more than this Monday. This represents 37.2 percent of the total doses administered.

18:13 – LAST MINUTE | The Ministry of Health has communicated this Wednesday 9,212 new infections and 389 deaths by coronavirus.

Health registers 9,212 new cases of coronavirus and 389 more deaths

Ana Maria Rodriguez

The cumulative incidence rate, that is, the number of cases diagnosed per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days, its downward trend continues, standing this Wednesday at 218.67.

17:47 – The Valencian Community trade sector has asked this Wednesday the Minister of Health, Ana Barceló, to allow open until 20.00, greater capacity and that the perimeter closure of large cities be lifted during the weekends.

The Valencian TSJ is not the Basque: it keeps the hospitality industry closed (for now) due to the covid

Victor Romero. Valencia

17:43 – CASTILLA-LA MANCHA | The Government of Castilla-La Mancha, through the General Directorate of Public Health, has confirmed 217 new cases due to coronavirus infection, which represents a slight rebound compared to yesterday when the new cases were 143.

By provinces, Toledo has registered 77 cases, Guadalajara 52, Ciudad Real 37, Cuenca 28 and Albacete 23. The accumulated number of cases since the beginning of the pandemic is 170.125.

Guide to restrictions in Castilla-La Mancha: the perimeter closure declines and bars and shops open

EC / Agencies

17:39 – A multicenter study, in which 36 hospitals in Spain and Andorra participated, shows that the early use of corticosteroids in critical patients with coronavirus is associated with lower mortality than when administered late. Furthermore, it is observed that the optimal moment for its administration is within the first 48 hours after admission to the ICU.

More mortality in toilets? The data says the opposite: 0.7% die with covid-19

Berta Tena

17:22 – COMMUNITAT VALENCIANA | The Valencian Community has notified 63 deaths from coronavirus since the last update, 12 of them residents, while the curve continues to decline and new infections They are down to 530 from 829 yesterday. For their part, hospitals have 121 admitted people and 26 fewer ICU beds, according to data from the Ministry of Health.

17:17 – The Committee for Human Medicines (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has initiated a 'continuous review' of data on the monoclonal antibody regdanvimab, which Celltrion is developing to the treatment of covid-19, and that it is expected to reduce the ability of the virus to enter the cells of the body.

Regdanvimab (also known as CT-P59) is a monoclonal antibody with activity against coronavirus. This antibody has been designed to bind to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes covid-19. When it attaches itself to the spike protein, the virus's ability to enter the cells of the body is reduced. This is expected to reduce the need for hospitalization. in patients with mild to moderate coronavirus.

Grifols starts a trial with a drug for immediate immunity to covid-19

Agencies

17:13 – The Civil and Criminal Chamber of the TSJCyL has rejected a complaint against the president of the Junta de Castilla y León, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, for the alleged commission of a crime of administrative prevarication by agreeing to advance the curfew at 8:00 p.m.

"The decision made in the agreement can be contrary to the legal system, but in no way does it have criminal relevance, being able to have it in the contentious-administrative sphere, where its legality and validity is already being resolved, and which is the proper field where the control of the submission of administrative action to the Law and the Law is exercised " , points the car

Castilla y León will extend the closure of non-essential activity from Friday at 9:30 p.m.

Europa Press

16:51 – The Minister of Health of the Government of Aragon, Sira Repollés, has stated that "no specific measure" has been arbitrated in the autonomous community to legislate the obligation to vaccinate against the coronavirus and has considered that from a legal point of view be "cautious" and "very strict" and "see what can or cannot be done".

16:42 – CANARY ISLANDS | The Canary Islands have registered 219 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, so the total accumulated in the islands is already 40,059, while the deceased they reach 582 after the death of four people -two in Gran Canaria and two in Tenerife-, according to data from the Regional Ministry of Health.

16:48 – MADRID | The Community of Madrid has notified 1,866 new cases of coronavirus, of which 1,464 correspond to the last 24 hours, and 33 more deaths in hospitals, according to the report of the epidemiological situation of this Wednesday with data at the end of the previous day.

On the preceding day, they were notified 1,503 new cases of coronavirus, of which 1,253 corresponded to the last 24 hours, and 33 more died in hospitals.

16:27 – The medical director of Primary Care of the Plasencia health area has died this Wednesday affected by covid-19. She was infected while replacing a partner of the coronavirus vaccination team, according to the president of the Extremadura Board, Guillermo Fernández Vara.

In an entry on his Twitter account, collected by Europa Press, Fernández Vara stressed that the "integrity" and "example" of the deceased "will always be with us."

16:24 – Portugal has exceeded this Wednesday the threshold of 800,000 cases of covid-19, despite the fact that in recent days it has apparently managed to contain the infections and is already in levels of deaths that had not been registered since the beginning of November.

The Portuguese General Directorate of Health has notified 50 fatalities in 24 hours, for a total of 16,136 since the start of the pandemic. Total cases now amount to 800,586, 1,480 more than on Tuesday, while the number of discharged patients is already close to 710,000.

Queues of ambulances in front of hospitals and a terrified country: Portugal, facing collapse

Lola Sánchez. Lisbon

16:01 – A panel from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed this Wednesday the effectiveness and safety data of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) covid-19 vaccine, which requires a single injection, with which its emergency authorization to incorporate it into the vaccination campaign could be imminent.

The FDA vaccine advisory committee will now be the one that, based on this report and the data provided by Johnson & Johnson, will decide this Friday if the vaccine is incorporated into the other two already authorized: that of Pfizer / BioNTech and the by Moderna.

US backs effectiveness of Johnson & Johnson single-shot vaccine

EFE

15:47 – The Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the Superior Court of Justice of Navarra (TSJN) has authorized this Wednesday the latest social and health measures adopted by the Regional Government, which include, among other aspects, the reopening of the interior of the hotel industry, with 30% capacity.

As of February 26, Navarra will relax the restrictions in force with the reopening of the interior of the hospitality industry and allowing the meeting of two convivial units, with a maximum of six people, in the private space. The perimeter closure of the Autonomous Community and the curfew will remain in force between 23 and 6 o'clock.

As of 26-F, it will relax the restrictions with the reopening of the interior of the hotel industry and allowing the meeting of 2 convivial units

15:28 – The Plenary of the Murcia Regional Assembly has approved an initiative of the Mixed Group in which public officials are asked to demonstrate that they have not been vaccinated irregularly against the coronavirus.

The initiative, defended by María Marín, called for public officials such as councilors, deputies and positions of the Community will present their corresponding certificate that demonstrates that they have not been vaccinated irregularly.

Public officials must demonstrate in Murcia that they have not been vaccinated irregularly

Europa Press

15:11 – One in five patients diagnosed with covid-19 presents loss of smell as the first symptom of the disease, which may be a sign of suspected contagion, recall from the Spanish Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (SEORL-CCC ) on the occasion of World Anosmia Day which takes place next February 27.

"This day aims to raise awareness about the importance of smell, a sense that influences food selection and nutrient intake, interpersonal relationships, overall quality of life, and detection of potentially substances toxic and dangerous ", indicates the society.

14:57 – MURCIA | The number of new cases of coronavirus in the Region of Murcia has stood at 143 in the last 24 hours, in a day in which nine people have died from covid-19. It involves six women and three men, four from Murcia, three from Cartagena and two from Yecla.

Thus, the number of deaths registered by this disease in the Community amounts to 1,440, according to the data provided by the corresponding Epidemiology Service this Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. The total number of affected in Murcia since the beginning of the pandemic stands at 105,583.

14:36 ​​- EUSKADI | Basque Country has counted 68 deaths from covid-19 during the week between February 15 and 21, which represents three fewer fatalities due to the pandemic than the previous week. In addition, this past Tuesday 405 new coronavirus infections have been registered, 18 less than the day before, and the rate of positives has also been reduced in relation to tests performed up to 4.2%, as well as new admissions and ICU patients.

According to the latest epidemiological bulletin of the Basque Department of Health, throughout this past Tuesday they have carried out 9,543 diagnostic tests (6,193 PCR and 3,350 antigen tests), up from 9,035 the day before. In this way, the positivity rate has been reduced by five tenths, 4.7% to 4.2%.

14:21 – CASTILLA Y LEÓN | The community adds 343 new confirmed cases of covid-19, which places the global figure to date at 210,230, while registering 12 new fatalities, all of them in hospitals, as well as a total of 26,403 medical discharges, 106 of them new, according to the data provided by the Ministry of Health.

The statistics published this Wednesday register 12 deaths in the hospitals of the Community, which raises up to 5,314 the total number of deaths in these centers.

14:04 – The Government of Aragon will delay from this Friday one hour the start of the curfew, which it will be fixed at eleven o'clock at night, and will increase to six people the maximum number in social gatherings, although it will maintain the perimeter confinement of the city of Teruel, the three Aragonese provinces and the entire community.

This has been announced the Minister of Health, Sira Repollés, at a press conference with the general director of Public Health, Francisco Javier Falo, to report on the situation of the covid-19 pandemic in Aragon, which presents a progressive decrease in infections, although slowed down. According to the latest data, the infection rate stands at 104 cases per 100,000 inhabitants at 7 days and 251 infections at 14 days.

Aragon delays its curfew for an hour and extends the meetings to a maximum of six people

Europa Press

13:26 – The acting Minister of Health of the Generalitat, Alba Vergés, has asked for containment and prudence with the restrictions due to the coronavirus that the technical committee of the Civil Protection Plan of Catalonia (Procicat) is evaluating before some "complicated weeks".

"We are not in a situation to propose an opening as many of us would like", Vergés lamented this Wednesday at a press conference from the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona together with the acting vice president of the Government, Pere Aragonès.

13:22 – LA RIOJA | The spokeswoman for the territorial government, Sara alba, has announced that Health has confirmed in the last hours 5 positive cases of the British variant of the 39 suspects in our autonomous community and "they may not be the only ones" so it has asked the public that "although the data are improving , let's be aware of where do we come from and what do we face".

For this reason, the Minister of Health has made a new appeal "to the responsibility" of citizens before the first weekend with level 4 known as 'Semaphore' in our autonomous community and asks "commitment" to Riojans to further consolidate top-down virus data in the region.

"Although the data is improving, let us be aware of where we come from and what we are up against"

13:09 – ANDALUSIA | The community this Wednesday placed its cumulative incidence rate of coronavirus at 235.11 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, below 250, which is classified as extreme risk, according to data from the Andalusian Institute of Statistics and Cartography (IECA), which accounts for 93 deaths and 1,311 cases of Covid-19, which are double the 634 on Tuesday and 650 on Tuesday. monday but are lower than the 1,788 of last Wednesday.

Specifically, the cumulative incidence rate in Andalusia has dropped this Wednesday to 235.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days, which is 23.9 points lower than Tuesday's rate (259) and 176.1 points lower than seven days ago (411.2).

12:58 – The leaders of Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Lithuania and Poland called for increasing the capacity to produce vaccines in the European Union due to the delays registered in the start of the immunization campaigns against covid-19, in a letter addressed to the rest of the community heads of state and government.

"Our key message today is that we urgently need to integrate and strategically direct our value chain to boost vaccine production capacities in Europe, "says the letter sent on Tuesday to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, on the eve of the telematics summit of community leaders next Thursday and Friday at the that will address the issue.

12:37 – 92% of new positive cases of covid-19 detected in the Vall d'Aran region the last month are from the British variant of the coronavirus.

As explained by the General Council of Aran in a statement, the report received from Health confirms that 22 of the 24 sequences carried out from January 25 until now correspond to the British variant of the virus.

92% of the new positives of covid-19 in the Aran Valley are of the British variant

EFE

12:15 – CANTABRIA | The incidence of covid continues to decline, reaching the 162 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 14 days and 71 in seven, and hospital pressure is also reduced with a drop in hospitalizations, 129 according to the latest data, and of those who remain in ICU, 26.

However, two other people have died, with which there are already 515 deaths from the coronavirus in the region since the pandemic began.

12:01 – ARAGON | The Government has notified 213 new cases of covid-19 and three deaths in the autonomous community this Tuesday, February 23, according to provisional data collected on the web. The number of people recovered has been 658.

By provinces, in Zaragoza, they have communicated 151 infections, three deaths and 445 recovered; in Huesca, 30 positives and 49 discharges; and in Teruel 31 infections and 162 people recovered.

11:44 – GALICIA | Hospital pressure maintains the downward trend in Galicia with 59 fewer admitted with covid-19 compared to the previous day, reaching 634 patients with coronavirus. Active cases have also declined again, that suppose 7,292.

This is reflected in the data updated this Wednesday morning by the Department of Health with records until 6:00 p.m. this Tuesday, which include 133 ICU patients -13 less- and 501 in other units -46 less-.

11:13 – The president of the PP, Pablo Casado, considers insufficient the 11 billion euros in additional resources for the hotel industry, tourism and small businesses announced this Wednesday by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, therefore, in his opinion, "at least 50 billion is needed".

This has been stated before the Plenary of Congress in which Casado has vindicated the Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and his defense of the need to carry out a "reform done on time." "I do not know what you are waiting for to do them and what hides in Spain of those plans that you have already explained in Brussels. Either you lie here, or you lie there, but we'll end up knowing it soon, "Casado warned.

"I do not know what you are waiting for to do them and what is hidden in Spain from those plans that you have already explained in Brussels"

10:59 – CANARY ISLANDS | Nail 367 people remain admitted in one of the hospitals in the Canary Islands after being infected with coronavirus, of which 86 are in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

According to the latest data published by the Ministry of Health, in addition to ICU patients there are 281 others who are admitted to the hospital ward.

10:41 – The Government Delegation in Madrid will prohibit all the demonstrations of 8-M with a forecast more than 500 attendees, a criterion from the Ministry of Health, so that "there will be absolutely no" a great feminist protest in the capital, like the one that occurred last year or in previous years.

This has been indicated by the Government delegate, José Manuel Franco, in an interview in 'Onda Madrid'. At the moment no protest has been prohibited of those that have already been communicated, none called by a party, since they are small and they promise to keep their distance. "We, the Health criteria, are following it strictly because we have to help preserve the health of Madrilenians", he pointed out.

Government Delegation in Madrid will prohibit the 8-M demonstrations with more than 500 attendees

Europa Press

10:28 – CATALONIA | The epidemic continues to rise in Catalonia, with a virus spreading speed (Rt) that is already 1.01, two hundredths more than on Tuesday, which has caused infections to increase again and have been diagnosed in the last 24 hours more than 3,000 new positives in all kinds of tests.

Catalonia again adds more than 3,000 infections in one day with the virus on the rise

Europa Press

Despite this rebound in the epidemic, according to epidemiological data updated this Wednesday by the Health Department, hospital pressure continues to decrease slightly and this Wednesday there is a total of 1.918 covid patients hospitalized, 55 less than the day before, of which 587 are seriously ill in ICU, six less than yesterday.

10:01 – The Government has already executed the purchase of 136 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from five pharmaceutical companies (Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Janssen and Curevac).

The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has updated the figures on the acquisition of doses against the coronavirus and has also reported that they have mobilized 9.98 million euros to support more than a dozen research projects in Spain on the vaccine, of which 4.77 million They are provided by the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CeDETI).

09:47 – The 'president' of the Generalitat, Ximo Puig, has pointed out that it is "on the table" to lift the weekend perimeter closures in large cities from March 1, when the current restrictions expire.

This is how Puig has spoken and has advocated a de-escalation "extraordinarily cautious" and has affirmed that the Valencian Community is "in conditions" of make restrictive measures more flexible that started in the middle of January.

The 'president' has welcomed the "great effort" of citizenship which has allowed the epidemiological situation to advance "very positively." In this sense, it has affected that it will be at the end of the week when the measures to be made more flexible are decided (there will be a interdepartmental commission on Thursday).

09:39 – NAVARRA | The community registered 65 cases of covid-19 this Tuesday, a figure slightly higher than in recent days, however the positivity drops to 2.7%.

Yesterday 2,373 tests were carried out in the Autonomous Community, between PCR and antigens, of which 65 were positive, according to provisional data provided by the Government of Navarra.

09:16 — ÚLTIMA HORA | El presidente del Gobierno, Pedro Sánchez, ha comparecido en el Congreso para dar cuenta del estado de alarma y ha anunciado que el Gobierno aprobará en las próximas semanas un nuevo paquete de 11.000 millones de euros para rescatar pymes y autónomos.

Sánchez anuncia un nuevo paquete de 11.000 M para rescatar a empresas y autónomos

Iván Gil

"Con las Navidades llegó la tercera ola y es algo que afectó a todos los países. No se debió la guardia entonces, en consecuencia, no podemos bajar la guardia ahora", ha añadido y sostiene que se ha conseguido bajar la incidencia en un 62% desde entonces y aunque "sigue siendo grave", ha tendencia se ha bajado gracias a las medidas adoptadas.

Así, ha hecho un llamamiento a la unidad de todas las fuerzas políticas para afrontar la "recta de salida" de la pandemia porque, ha asegurado, la sociedad española está "exhausta" y espera de los políticos "humanidad, responsabilidad y generosidad".

09:12 — El alcalde de la ciudad estadounidense de Nueva York, Bill de Blasio, ha pedido este martes a la población el uso de dos mascarillas al menos hasta el mes de junio, mientras las autoridades continúan su campaña de vacunación frente al coronavirus.

"Hasta junio, seguid haciendo exactamente lo que estáis haciendo", ha dicho, antes de pedir que "no solo se lleve una mascarilla". "Llevad dos. Podría ser que sigamos esta recomendación durante un tiempo, dependiendo de lo que pase", ha señalado.

08:51 — Las autoridades de Alemania han confirmado este miércoles más de 8.000 casos de coronavirus durante el último día, con lo que el país supera la barrera de los 2,4 millones de contagios desde el inicio de la pandemia.

La incidencia semanal baja en Alemania a 60 casos, pero se teme una nueva ola

EFE

El Instituto Robert Koch, el ente gubernamental encargado del control de enfermedades infecciosas, ha señalado a través de su página web que durante las últimas 24 horas se han detectado 8.007 contagios y 422 fallecidos, lo que sitúa los totales en 2.402.018 y 68.740, respectivamente.

08:29 — Dos ancianos, residentes de un hogar para la tercera edad en la ciudad australiana de Brisbane, permanecen bajo vigilancia sanitaria tras recibir por error hasta al menos cuatro veces la dosis recomendada de la vacuna de Pfizer contra el covid-19, confirmó este miércoles el ministerio de Salud.

Ninguno de los pacientes, de 94 y 88 años, muestran "reacciones adversas", ha afirmado el ministro australiano de Salud, Greg Hunt, al informar de que las autoridades investigan este incidente ocurrido el martes.

Dos ancianos, en observación en Australia al recibir por error cuatro dosis de la vacuna

Europa Press

08:15 — ¡Buenos días! El presidente del Gobierno, Pedro Sánchez, comparecerá en el Pleno del Congreso este miércoles para dar cuenta del estado de alarma vigente hasta mayo y de las medidas que está llevando a cabo el Gobierno para combatir la pandemia del coronavirus y paliar sus consecuencias.

Eso sí, el Gobierno ya ha dejado claro este martes que no se plantea acogerse a la posibilidad de levantarlo dos meses antes, el próximo 9 de marzo, porque considera que las circunstancias no lo aconsejan. Se trata de una opción que se incluyó a última hora en el decreto de prórroga del estado de alarma, incluida a petición de varios grupos de la oposición a cambio de su apoyo.