The incidence of coronavirus in Catalonia has risen significantly since last week. After weeks of decline, the trend has changed and the number of new cases per 100,000 inhabitants has exceeded the danger level of 100 once more, reaching 110.97 in Catalonia on Tuesday. However, the real shape of the trend becomes apparent by looking at the age bands. Among young people aged 20 to 29, the average incidence is now 404, and among teenagers, between 12 and 19 years old, it is 351. The Catalan health authorities have rapidly moved to begin vaccination of 16-29 year olds, in addition to the shots for 30-34 year olds which also began this week.
On Tuesday, the Spanish health ministry began to publish data on Covid incidence broken down by both age and region, also coinciding with several significant outbreaks in the Balearic Islands, associated with end-of-term school trips. The age-group values vary greatly and as well, it can also be seen that in four communities - Cantabria, Catalonia, Asturias and the Balearic Islands - the incidence among young people is double the Spanish average.
Incidence taking off
The data indicates clearly that the frequency of new cases is becoming problematic among the age groups who have not yet received the coronavirus vaccine. Cantabria has an incidence among 20-29 year-olds of 637.57 and in the 12-19 year-old group it is 539.09. Catalonia also stands out for its incidence in these same age groups. For the 20-29s, the incidence is 404.32. For teenagers it is 351.44.
Incidence by age groups / Screen capture Spanish Ministry of Health
The Balearic Islands continue to have low incidence overall, but they have also experienced growth, probably due to the large outbreaks that have been detected there. In the 20-29 age group an incidence of 176 is recorded, while in the 12-19 age group it reaches 246.
Asturias in the north of the Iberia peninsula has also undergone a significant rise in infections. In the 12-19 age group the incidence is 203 and among 20 to 29 year olds, it is 270.
Vaccines shots now begin for whole 16-34 age band
It is hardly surprising that the highest incidences occur in the groups that have not yet received the coronavirus vaccine in Spain. Young people, on average less severely affected by the virus, have had to wait at the end of the vaccine queue, and the rapid rise in incidence among the under 30s also coincides with the end of school and university terms and the height of the "party season". Bars, restaurants and nightlife have also reopened or returned to more normal functioning across Spain in recent weeks.
After vaccination appointments opened this week in Catalonia for those between 30 and 34 years old, the health minister Josep Maria Argimon has announced today that this has been extended to 16-29 year-olds as well. Vaccine bookings can be made and information for all age groups can be found on the Catalan health department website.
New cases go up
Coronavirus infections among Catalan students affected by outbreaks on end-of-term trips continue to rise. The latest data shows 353 students have tested positive, a hundred more than in the last count by the Catalan health department. In the case of the outbreak on the island of Menorca, the number of confirmed cases has doubled, from 76 confirmed positives to 153 in a matter of hours.
The most numerous, however, is still that of Mallorca - also associated with end-of-term trips, where confirmed cases have risen from 132 to 166. An outbreak in Tenerife among students from the Terres de l'Ebre, in the south of Catalonia, currently accounts for 34 cases.
One youth admitted to intensive care
An 18-year-old man affected by the coronavirus outbreak in Mallorca has been admitted to intensive care in the Elx General Hospital, in Alacant.
The boy was hospitalized at the weekend after his health deteriorated after a coronavirus infection which began during his secondary school trip to Mallorca in mid-June. The outbreak has affected students from several different autonomous communities.
According to the ABC newspaper, he is the only coronavirus patient currently admitted to an ICU in the hospitals of Elx.
Main image: young people on a terrace / ACN