A woman receiving a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine at the WiZink center in Madrid on Wednesday.JUAN MEDINA / Reuters
The Andalusia and Madrid regions, both of which are governed by the conservative Popular Party (PP), voiced their complaints on Wednesday at a meeting with other regional chiefs and the central Health Ministry about the delay on a decision as to whether a second dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine should be administered to the under-60s. Officials from both regions called on the ministry to âfind a quick solution to this problem,â according to sources with knowledge of the meeting of the Inter-Territorial Council of the National Health System (CISNS).
The epidemiological curve of the coronavirus is finally starting to fall in Spain after two weeks stuck in a plateau. According to the latest report from the Health Ministry, which was released on Thursday evening, the 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants has fallen below 202 for the first time in a month. But the risk level is still high under the criteria established by the central government.
While the trend is positive, the uneven control of the pandemic from region to region and the ongoing high pressure on the healthcare system are prompting the experts to remain on alert. There are six Spanish territories in the governmentâs extreme risk scenario, with a 14-day cumulative number of cases above 250 per 100,000 inhabitants. Meanwhile, one in five intensive care unit (ICU) beds is occupied by a Covid-19 patient.
With the end of the state of alarm set to end on Sunday, many of Spainâs regions â which are in charge of controlling the pandemic in their territories â are increasingly worried about what impact this will have on efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus. For the past six months, the emergency measure has given the regions the authority to introduce restrictions that curb fundamental rights, such as the nighttime curfew, without facing challenges in the courts. But there is concern that could all change on May 9, when the state of alarm comes to an end.
In a bid to ease these fears, the Spanish government â a coalition of the Socialist Party (PSOE) and junior partner Unidas Podemos â has approved a royal decree that gives the Supreme Court the final word on coronavirus restrictions. The new rule, published Wednesday in the Official State Bulletin (BOE), aims to prevent the legal chaos that occurred last year between June and October, when judges from l
On May 9, the current state of alarm that is in place in Spain will expire, meaning that the countryâs regions â which are in charge of implementing coronavirus restrictions â will no longer be protected by a legal framework that avoids their measures being challenged in local courts. While the fourth wave of the epidemic in Spain is proving to be under control, for the most part, the regions are counting on having to maintain restrictions after May 9 in order to avoid further spread of the virus. In fact, some have even called on the central government to extend the state of alarm beyond that deadline.
A mass-vaccination site in Valencia on Monday.Mònica Torres
Spainâs Health Ministry and regional governments are considering whether to change the countryâs Covid-19 vaccination strategy, and delay the administration of the second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. Until now, a total of 21 and 28 days, respectively, were being left between the two shots necessary for the full protection offered by the vaccine, in line with the manufacturersâ recommendations.
Some of the countryâs regions, including Catalonia, Madrid and Andalusia, had already suggested such a change to the process, and now the ministry is likely to debate the move today during a meeting of the Public Health Commission. The proposal will focus on leaving eight weeks between shots for the under-80s, in a bid to speed up the rate of vaccination. Among the over-80s, 98% of whom have had their first dose and 58% of whom have had two, the second injection will be given following the