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ARCHIVED - Omicron accounts for 60 per cent of Covid cases in the Valencia region
Infections have risen by 25% in Alicante and the rest of the region since the end of December
The Delta variant of Covid, predominant in the Valencia region until the end of December 2021, has been displaced by Omicron which, following a sharp increase in cases, now accounts for almost two thirds of infections in the provinces of Alicante, Valencia and Castellón.
An update of the epidemiological situation of the SARS-CoV-2 variants in Spain, published on Monday January 10, reveals that Omicron accounted for 61.4% of all positives in the region on January 2, up from 36.7% on December 27.
The regional data follows the national pattern where the Omicron variant has risen from 37.7% of all samples to 61.6% in the same period of time, although it currently accounts for up to 90.9% of cases in some autonomous regions.
However, the updated report stresses that whilst the variant has led to an increase in contagion, case symptoms have been less severe.
All the same, it has led to a spike in infections which has seen the region break two all-time high records for new cases so far in 2022 already.
The Regional Ministry of Health reported 29,347 new infections on Monday January 10, the highest figure since the start of the pandemic.
And the sharp increase has piled extra pressure on hospitals in the region which have seen admissions rise from 563 a month ago to 1,374 – although this figure is a far cry from the highest peaks of the health crisis.
But worryingly, ICU admissions are also up significantly, from 93 critically ill Covid patients a month ago to 201, and there were 22 deaths over the weekend ranging in age from 37 to 83-years-old.
Meanwhile, students in the Valencia region returned to the classroom on Monday with a "change of dynamic" following the implementation of anti-Covid measures.
One of the biggest changes is that the region will follow the criteria adopted by the Public Health Commission of not quarantining entire classrooms when there are up to four infected positives or less than 20% of the students.
According to the Valencian President, Ximo Puig, the current health situation requires a "changing of the dynamics" and protective measures, "since the spread of the Omicron is different from the Delta variant last year when there were more hospitalisations".
"We have to change the rules of the game because the action of the pandemic has changed," he added.
staff.inc.ali
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