The pressure on hospitals in the Balearic Islands is beginning to subside as the most aggressive wave of the coronavirus pandemic recedes.
On Tuesday, 402 people were hospitalised in the Balearics, which is 37% less than 15 days ago. Mallorca now has 174 on Covid wards, down from 295 two weeks ago and 83 patients are in the ICU, which is 27 less than two weeks ago.
That's allowing hospitals to start reorganising wards for non-Covid patients.
"In the last week there has been a very noticeable decline and we are starting to de-escalate,” said Son Llàtzer Hospital Manager, Xisco Marí. “A week ago there were 40 coronavirus patients here, on Tuesday there were 20 and we had three hospital wards with Covid patients, but from Wednesday there will only be one ward with 24 beds,"
There’s also been a reduction in the number patients in the Son Llàtzer ICU from 27 to 20.
“We had three areas for critical coronavirus patients: the ward, the resuscitation are in the surgical block on the second floor and another one on the third floor. Now we can release the second floor and recover an operating room for procedures that are a priority but not urgent.”
Joan March Hospital discharged four coronavirus patients on Tuesday.
"Today the ward is being cleaned in preparation for non-Covid patients and there is no longer any pressure,” said Marí.
How to move forward with the de-escalation process at Son Espases Hospital will be decided on Friday in conjunction with the Crisis Committee. Admissions are falling: On February 1 there were 72 patients on the coronavirus ward and 50 in the ICU whereas on Tuesday there were 56 patients on the ward and 37 in the ICU.
At the General Hospital, which is dependent on Son Espases Hospital there are 15 patients on the ward compared to 29 a week ago and the convalescence unit has been kept clear of Covid patients.
Manacor Hospital is also de-escalating and hopes to open an operating room next week.
“We are adapting the spaces, but the reorganisation means moving patients, cleaning and validating which can take 24 hours," explains Medical Director, Joan Bennàsser. Four new coronavirus patients were hospitalised in Manacor in the last 24 hours.
Inca will maintain its M1 plant for Covid patients. Four new coronavirus patients were hospitalised on Tuesday and seven critically ill coronavirus patients are still in the ICU.
Municipalities
At least 29 of the 53 Municipalities in Mallorca have a cumulative incidence rate of less than 150 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 14 days. Palma now has an incidence rate of 202, but the numbers in Montuïri, Sóller, Vilafranca and Manacor are still worrying.