DGS Tuesday bulletin registers almost 20,000 ‘newly recovered’ against just under 26,000 new infections

Today’s Covid bulletin shows another 25,836 new infections have been registered in what has been a massive rush to testing centres. Recent days have seen many hundreds of thousands of people clamouring for tests, either to travel, go out, attend events, or to follow-up on positive self-test results. The country’s Rt number is now 1,43 (a long way from ideal), with incidence running at what with Delta would have been a catastrophic level (1,817.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants). But as Omicron is proving much more mild – if noticeable at all in the bulk of those who contract it – these numbers are, in the end, just numbers. Hospitals have 1,203 people interned with symptoms of Covid-19. Again, higher than authorities would want, but well within established red lines. ICUs are currently looking after 143 patients, while close on 200,000 people are ‘at home’, in isolation, having tested positive. Today’s death toll tipped the country into new territory of over 19,000 deaths: In all there have been 19,015 deaths since the start of the pandemic, against recoveries running at almost 1.228 million (exact number of people recovered: 1,227,642). In line with usual patterns, the highest number of cases continues to be in the 40-year age grouping, while the highest number of deaths remains in the over-80s.