The Canaries continue to break vaccination records, administering 11,500 jabs throughout the islands on Friday. Until now, 274,777 people have received at least one dose, and almost 200,000 have been fully immunised.
The groups currently being vaccinated are the extremely dependent people living at home; those older than 80, and the 60–65-year-olds. Also being dealt with are groups 3 and 6, consisting of health workers, prison guards, armed forces and police, teachers and other essential occupations.
This may prompt you to ask “What’s happening with the 65-80 years old group?”, and the answer lies in the different vaccines that are being used. Spain recently authorised the AstraZeneca vaccine to be used on those up to 65 years of age, and the availability of this vaccine means that this programme has already commenced. Over-65s will receive either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, and supplies of these are still being used to dose and second-dose the over-80s.
Meanwhile, Lanzarote continues to show encouraging progress with its Covid figures. While much of Spain has shown rising cases, prompting fears of a fourth wave; and while Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura have also seen recent rises, Lanzarote has kept its total of active cases in single figures, and it currently stands at 65.
Lanzarote’s intensive care unit (ICU) now contains only seven patients, and the general Covid ward in the hospital just two. ICU occupation has been a real worry for Lanzarote in recent weeks as it experienced the highest infection rates ever experienced in the Canaries.
However, this reduction has been achieved at the worst possible cost, with the last five Covid deaths on Lanzarote occurring in the ICU. The relatively young victims were three women aged 77, 66 and 48; and two men aged 55 and 53.
Lanzarote is currently in Level 1 territory according to the Canarian Health Service’s criteria. If it can remain so for another two weeks – and low ICU occupation means this could be a distinct possibility – then there is a good chance that the island may emerge from the Easter regulations straight into Level 1.
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