On Thursday, the Balearic health ministry reported 194 new positive cases of coronavirus. There have now been 5,207 cases since the start of the pandemic, with 3,306 people having recovered - this figure was up 150 from Wednesday. The number of fatalities remains 233, with the number of active cases now being 1,668, a rise of 44 from Wednesday.
There are 158 people in hospital in Majorca, 22 of them in intensive care. In Minorca, there are now two people in hospital, there having been just one person (in intensive care) on Wednesday. Fifteen people are in hospital in Ibiza.
Over the past week, there have been 38 outbreaks of coronavirus in the Balearics, 35 of these in Majorca and three in Ibiza/Formentera. This is twice as many as the previous week. Most of these outbreaks have occurred as a result of family or friends gatherings. Only one involves more than ten people.
Javier Arranz, spokesperson for the regional committee for infectious diseases, says that "we are in an important situation, because the spread of the virus is increasing". "The responsibility of every citizen is fundamental."
The accumulated incidence over the past fourteen days has been 177 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Arranz explains that although the figure is high, 50% of these are asymptomatic and the other 50% have mild symptoms. The health service, he adds, is preparing to respond to demand. He is asking people with mild symptoms to contact health centres by phone. "You do not have to go to hospital. Hospitals have to be free for serious cases, which will undoubtedly come."