COVID-19

SPAIN is “open” is using the Russian vaccine Sputnik V as long as the jab wins the approval of the European health regulators, new health minister Carolina Darias said. Named after the Soviet-era satellite used in the space race with the United States, use of the Covid vaccination faced international criticism when Russia began administering it before large-scale trials. However, respected medical journal The Lancet has looked at data from […]

REGIONAL health minister Ana Barceló says an investigation is underway into how 62 people in Valencia – including 10 public officers – jumped the queue to receive Covid-19 shots. Those facing the detailed probe did not apparently fit criteria of risk groups in the first phase of the vaccination programme. Initially 223 people were identified as potential cheats – the numbers were pruned back when it was discovered 177 were […]

NEW restrictions came into force today (Wednesday) in Spain restricting air passengers from Brazil and South Africa to nationals and legal residents. Passengers stopping in Spain while on their way to a destination in another country will be allowed to enter for up to 24 hours but will not be permitted to leave the airport. Spanish government spokeswoman Maria Jesus Montero said the new rules would remain in force for […]

SPANISH Health Minister Carolina Darias has insisted the country will meet its target of having 70% of the population vaccinated against Covid-19 by the end of summer. She said the other national target of getting jabs in arms of 80% of people aged over 80 and health workers by the end of next month was still on course. Governments across Europe have been forced to deal with delays in shipments […]

VACCINATING frontline workers such as waiters, taxi drivers, supermarket checkout staff and teachers would make sense, according to Madrid regional leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso. She said she will consider making people working directly with the public a priority to get a covid-19 jab. She wrote on social media: “We have analysed the possibility of speeding up vaccination in highly exposed sectors such as teachers, taxi drivers, supermarket cashiers, waiters…but the […]

HEALTH experts believe wearing medical grade facemasks should be mademandatory in Spain to give wearers greater protection from Covid-19 – especially with the rising cases of more contagious mutations. They say homemade face coverings or the popular fabric masks sold in many outlets do not give enough protection against coronavirus – and want the use of surgical or the even higher standard FFP2 or equivalent coverings – which are considered […]

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PICASSENT jail has locked down and ceased all ‘non-essential’ activity to help prevent the spread of coronavirus after a new outbreak amongst the prisoners. The Valencia region prison – the largest penitentiary in Spain - is in a ‘verycomplicated situation’ according to union representatives of prison staff.According to the group, a new outbreak has affected 90 inmates and there are currently 157 positive cases with 425 prisoners in quarantine; some […]

THE highly infectious ‘British strain’ of Covid-19 is expected to continue to spread rapidly across Spain, according to a Ministry of Health report. It predicts further pressure on hospitals with a more lethal and serious form of the disease, a variation first identified in Kent, as more people are infected. The Centre for the Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies warned that based on available evidence the variant was more […]