Javier Arranz, spokesperson for the regional infectious diseases committee, said on Wednesday that he is in favour of maintaining the current restrictions as there are "many days of pressure" yet to come in the hospitals, despite the fall in the number of cases.
Arranz stressed that it will be many days before there is an improvement in the hospitals, with intensive care unit pressure currently at 69%. He added that "we are on a good line as the restrictions are giving good results". "But we still on very high lines with regard to the health situation." He observed that at the end of December, when cases were increasing, there were fewer admissions to ICU. It takes a month, he said, for there to be a lowering of admissions.
Cumulative incidence will not be the only factor determining a relaxation of restrictions, which should be done slowly and very carefully. To do otherwise would entail "great risk". Health pressure must be taken into account. When this drops, a relaxation will still need to be slow.
He noted that the situation in Mallorca shows a clear decline. "We are below 300 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, although the decline has slowed a bit because of some outbreaks." Asked about the UK variant, he said that "the further we are down the curve, the less problematic it will be".