The Catalan health department's concern about the trends in the coronavirus indicators in recent days should set off warning alarms in society, thinking in particular of the need to avoid derailing the summer which is now upon us. Or even the possibility that business sectors which are starting to see the light of day after almost 15 months of pain might have to take a step backwards. It is more necessary than ever to keep in mind that nothing is over and that the virus is still around, with variants, like the Delta, of Indian origin, which are causing more and more concern.
But along with the reflection which we must all make, it is also important that the administration does two things: insist as much as possible on the necessary vaccination in those age groups where, although the process has been underway for several weeks, it is moving too slowly, and go as hard as possible in the vaccination of the younger age groups, now that it has finally been opened without any age restrictions. This was a demand that had been made for weeks due to fear of the contagion that was expected among young people, which this Tuesday had reached an incidence of 251 cases per 100,000 inhabitants among 20-29 year-olds and just eight points less for the 12-19 year-olds. Almost two and a half times the Catalonia average when all age groups are included.
The forecasts say that over the next few days these indicators will not go down and that the indicators - 3,500 infections daily, the outbreak risk at 146 and the Rt transmission rate at 1.42 - are worrying. The president of the Barcelona Medical Association, Jaume Padrós, a voice that must always be listened to during this pandemic, had no hesitation in pointing out that if it were not for the vaccine, we would now have to be in a full home lockdown like that of last spring.
Fortunately, the vaccine is present, and what needs to be done is to speed up its administration as much as possible and raise awareness among the unvaccinated. The figure of 4.1 million Catalans having had a first dose and 2.5 million completely vaccinated is data that shows that the process is being carried out positively, although in recent days the virus has been advancing faster than the vaccination.
The mobility that is expected over the next eight or nine weeks and that will fully affect the age group under 29, whose vaccine shots begin today - as well as the 40-45 year age group in which many people remain to be vaccinated - obliges the administration to accelerate the process this July even if the number of resources available is never as many as they would desire.