ARCHIVED - Officical Covid death toll in Spain passes 70,000: update 4th March 2021
Case numbers and incidence rates reach their lowest levels since August
Infection rates may be falling after the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, which swept across the country after increased socialization and travel were permitted during the Christmas and New Year holidays, but the effects of the episode are still being observed and the latest Ministry of Health update which was published on Wednesday afternoon reports that the official pandemic death toll has now surpassed 70,000.
A further 446 fatalities bring the official toll to 70,247 over the last year, although it is widely recognized that the “real” figure is substantially higher, probably between 90,000 and 100,000. This is due mainly to PCR testing having been limited during the first wave of infection early in 2020, when many deaths occurred without positive diagnoses having been carried out.
Meanwhile, the numbers of new cases continue to fall and the latest update reports a further 6,137 infections. This is the lowest daily total since mid-August, and as a result the 14-day accumulated incidence rate dropped from 168 per 100,000 inhabitants the day before to 159.6. There are now 5 regions reporting rates of under 100: the Comunidad Valenciana, Murcia, La Rioja, the Balearics and Extremadura, which is on the point of becoming the first region in many months to dip below 50.
The nationwide rate is also at its lowest since mid-August, but at the same time the situation in Madrid remains one of “extreme risk” with a figure of 261, and the rates in the north African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla are also well above the threshold of 250.
At the same time, the pressure on hospitals continues to ease gradually. The proportion of hospital beds occupied by coronavirus patients has now dropped to 8.6 per cent, while the 2,709 patients in intensive care account for 26.3 per cent of all available ICU beds.