Spainâs central government on Monday officially confirmed that the current health minister, Salvador Illa, will leave his role this week and that tomorrowâs Cabinet meeting will be his last. Illa, who has been in charge of the Health Ministry for just over a year, will be running as the candidate for the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) in the upcoming elections in the northeastern region, which are due to be held on February 14.
The decision is a controversial one, given that he will be leaving the government in the midst of the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Spain. Illa has, however, met his promise of remaining in the role until the start of the electoral campaign, which will officially begin on Thursday.
The third wave of the coronavirus pandemic is pushing Spain toward a de facto lockdown, that â while stopping short of the strict home confinement rules introduced last spring during the first wave â greatly restricts social activities and freedom of movement. In response to the rising number of coronavirus cases, Spanish regions have introduced tough new measures, such as the perimetral lockdowns of municipalities and the closure of all food and drink establishments. But there is now debate about whether or not the current state of alarm should be modified to allow regions to apply even stricter restrictions.
Under the state of alarm that was approved last October, there is a nationwide curfew â with the exception of the Canary Islands â from 11pm to 6am, which regional authorities can bring forward or back by an hour. The regions can also seal off their borders, provinces, cities and healthcare areas, so that only essential travel is allowed. But many regional
Spainâs coronavirus incidence rate has risen for the fourth day in a row. According to the latest Health Ministry report, released on Wednesday, the 14-day cumulative number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants now stands at 201.16 â the highest figure in nine days. The rise in the incidence rate â which is considered the most accurate measure of the spread of the virus â comes as Spain heads into the Christmas holidays, when more travel and family gatherings are expected to take place.
âIt is an upward trend, as we have seen in the previous days,â said Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa at a press conference on Wednesday following a meeting of the Inter-Territorial Council of the National Health System, which brings together central and regional healthcare chiefs. At the meeting, the Health Ministry called on regional governments to consider even tighter coronavirus restrictions for the holidays if epidemiological figures keep getting worse. Some region