Following the recent outbreak of Covid 19 cases that has been traced to an Arrecife gym, Lanzarote is coming dangerously close to a return to Level 3, or “high risk” status, and authorities have taken special measures to contain what is the largest single outbreak on the island.
The island’s 7-day infection rate is already in the high risk (Level 3) category, at 91,14 cases per 100,000 people. The 14-day rate stands at 135, and is also rising towards the Level 3 threshold of 150.
Hospital occupation has also risen, but not yet to concerning levels. The three patients in intensive care have been there for several weeks, while the Cabildo now reports that three further patients are on the general Covid ward.
The Canarian Government permitted Lanzarote to remain in Level 2 on Wednesday, and the next review will take place on Thursday 20th May, meaning that the island is waiting apprehensively for the daily case tally to start falling over the next few days. Fingers will also be crossed that hospital figures, which are the most likley indicator to keep the island on Level 2, will not rise any further.
The gym outbreak has now been linked to 83 cases, 50 of them directly related to sporting activity and the other 33 in family members of directly-related cases. On Wednesday, the Canarian Health Service started screening staff and members of the gym, with 800 tests carried out up to now.
Cases have occurred all over the island, with San Bartolomé, Tías and Teguise all registering totals in double figures over the last week.
To stay within Level 2, the island should be posting fewer than 16 cases a day on average. It only exceeded this total three times in the whole of April, but the daily total of cases has only fallen below this threshold twice in the last nine days.
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