The Spanish government has just given notification that the 148,000 shots of AstraZeneca vaccine that were to arrive in Catalonia next week will not be delivered. This was stated by the Catalan health minister, Alba Vergés, on her Twitter profile.
"How shameful. The Spanish ministry has just informed us that the 148,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses that were supposed to arrive next week will not arrive. They have been delayed until at least Monday, April 5th. There has already been enough of this nonsense," she tweeted.
The Catalan health department's secretary general, Marc Ramentol, gave the same news on Catalonia's TV3 this afternoon. According to Ramentol, the Spanish ministry has not given any justification for this cancellation.
Following the 10-day pause in the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine due to thrombosis cases detected around Europe, later determined to be a false alarm, this new setback will mark a further slowdown in the mass vaccination plan. Earlier this week, Catalan authorities announced that seven mass vaccination centres are being readied for opening, in anticipation of a speeding-up of vaccine deliveries.
On the other hand, Catalan public health secretary Josep Maria Argimon, reported earlier that next week his department is expecting the arrival of 62,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine. They also envisage 104,000 Pfizer doses on Monday and on April 5th, another 194,000. And as for AstraZeneca, he said 17,000 doses would arrive tomorrow, Friday.
Similarly, in the Valencian Country, about 100,000 AstraZeneca doses were originally expected to arrive on Monday, and only 12,000 are now expected. This means that vaccinations of teachers will be able to continue in the Valencia region, but not at the planned rate.
Covid incidence, rising slowly
Meanwhile, the slight upward trend in Covid indicators continues in Catalonia, with schools about to begin Easter holidays. The number of daily cases in Catalonia reached 1,789 yesterday, continuing an upward trends. At the hospitals, there are few changes, with a slight fall in admissions although intensive care occupancy has been going in an upward direction for the last few days.
The outbreak risk indicator has gone from 208 points to 212, while the Rt transmission index has risen to 1.09 after two days at 1.08. For the last week, it's been above 1, indicating that transmission is accelerating - although very slowly, for the moment at least.
Intensive care bed occupancy by Covid patients in Catalonia
Wednesday, a good vaccination day
As for the number of Catalan having had their first vaccination shots, the data gives a total of 692, 801. In the last 24 hours, 22,538 first vaccine doses were given. Some 380,908 people have already received the second dose of the vaccine (22,384 in the last 24 hours). Thus in the last day 44,922 vaccines shots were given - one of the highest one-day figures so far in the Catalan vaccination campaign. Mortality rates in care homes have fallen by around 50%, and a total of 4.7% of the population of Catalonia is now completely vaccinated, with two doses.
How many people have received Covid vaccinations in Catalonia? (yellow= 1st shot, green= 2nd shot)
What proportion of the population has received Covid vaccinations in Catalonia? (top= % 1st shot, bottom= % 2nd shot)
Main image, Pedro Sánchez / EFE