Restrictions in Aragon due to COVID: measures, confinement and what can be done

Aragon regresses again due to the pandemic. The community’s Health Councilor, Sira Repollés, announced new measures this morning because the region “has been drawing an upward curve in recent weeks.” The weekly incidence has doubled to reach the 329 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, consequence of the numerous daily infections that are registered. “He Wednesday we notify 700 infections, he Thursday more of 900, a very high figure, which had not occurred since November, in the third epidemic peak. Today Friday, 838 cases and positivity higher than 21% “, has specified.

New restrictions

Ripollés recalled that this rise was perceived at the end of the year, which is why new measures were imposed on 2 January, thanks to which they have been able to slow down the rise. However, they have not been sufficient to control the curve, and the forecasts for the next few weeks are “Continue to increase cases in general”, which has led the regional Executive to tighten restrictions. Are you what expected to come into force on Saturday, focus on reducing mobility and have two main axes: the perimeter confinement of municipalities and the restriction of schedules in non-essential activities:

– Perimeter confinement of municipalities with more than 10,000 inhabitants and with a cumulative incidence over seven days greater than 250 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, thus confining the following municipalities: Zaragoza, Huesca, Teruel, Calatayud, Utebo, Ejea de los Caballeros, Alcañiz and Tarazona. Quarter of Huerva it does not reach this rate, but it is expected to do so “imminently”, so it is also isolated. “Some 860,000 people in the Community are confined, which means that two out of every three Aragonese men and women have limited mobility to the municipal level.”

– Early curfew at 22:00, so the circulation will be prohibited from that time until 06:00.

– Limitation of the maximum social grouping to four people, unless they are cohabiting.

– Reduction of schedules for all Aragon. The weekends, the non-essential activity (hotels, restaurants and commercial establishments) must end at 18:00 hours. This means that from Monday to Thursday the closing is maintained at 20:00, while from Friday to Sunday the schedule is advanced. These days the exceptions for culture and sport will be maintained.

Capacity controls

In addition to the above measures, Ripollés has also revealed that they will “intensify” the capacity controls in shopping centers “For the verification of strict compliance with the standard”. The capacity of shopping centers will be 26%. “They will be objective and exhaustive controls by means of a personal or automatic counting of inputs and outputs ”, explained the counselor. “We believe that from Friday to Sunday is when contagions intensify in cultural activities or shops, while we think that from Monday to Thursday it would be inappropriate to apply them to activities. In any case, If the measures do not give the expected results, we will propose extending the hours to the whole week“, has added.

Aragon will not ask for confinement

“It is a scenario of generalized ascent. The only peculiarity is that, although the infections affect all bands, the commitment of the health system is moderate. Without a doubt, with this rise in cases, transmission will end up having an impact on income and we can’t take risks and wait for this to happen, “said Repollés before warning that” we do not know when the peak will arrive, but the next few weeks will be difficult. “

However, despite the fact that the situation is beginning to worsen, Ripollés has stressed that Aragon is not as bad as other Spanish communities, so that home confinement, for the moment, is not an option: “We believe that our resources and decrees give us the option of handling the measures without requesting a home confinement, which in any case is a competence that does not belong to the communities ”. What is clear is that the infections are widespread throughout Aragon.

More infections between 20 and 55 years

Ripollés has been accompanied in the appearance by Francis Falo, general director of public health, who has agreed that “a complicated week awaits us, since clearly we are in a situation of epidemic rise”. In this sense, he has pointed out that “The employer is community, but especially between 20 and 55 years”.

On the other hand, Falo has recommended reduce contact with vulnerable groups “To avoid transmission chains that could affect them.” “We have a situation with intense community transmission in practically the entire territory, where intermediate ages predominate and that is why health care has decreased the average age of care, but we know that immediately after the impact of the middle-aged population, it moves to more vulnerable ages”, Has sentenced.

Vaccination

Regarding the vaccination campaign, Ripollés has assured that it has begun at a good pace, especially among the most vulnerable groups: “We have completed the first dose in the residences and we are already starting the second”. Likewise, it has also begun to administer the first dose in the Primary Care health professionals, a process that will conclude this week and, then, will begin with the first doses of the hospital users in the emergency specialties, ‘061’ and ucis.