The epidemiological indicators of Tenerife have improved in recent weeks, and finally, they have reduced sufficiently to be in range to support a move from alert level 4 to level 3. The data has been consolidated in the last few days making it feasible for the health authorities to approve this in the next Governing Council on Thursday.
Previously there were eight indicators in two groups that were analysed to decipher the alert level for the islands, but now there are ten because the emphasis has been shifted from looking at incidence rates to hospital pressure.
The two groups of indicators are as follows, with the last two in group 2 being the additional indicators added to monitor hospital admissions by Covid patients:
Group 1:
7-day incidence rate for general population.
7-day incidence rate for over 65s .
14-day incidence rate for general population.
14-day incidence rate for over 65s.
R rate of contagion.
Positivity rate (percentage) of PCR tests.
Group 2:
Occupancy of hospital beds by Covid patients
Occupancy of ICU beds by Covid patients
Rate of admissions to hospital beds by Covid patients (per 100,000 inhabitants)
Rate of admissions toICU beds by Covid patients (per 100,000 inhabitants)
Currently, the percentages of hospital occupancy, both in intensive care units (ICU) and in wards, has reduced from 'very high risk' to 'high risk', with 24.02% and 12.25%, respectively, according to the daily report prepared by the Canary Islands Health Service (SCS), and the rate of admissions are classed as Green which means they are now ‘low-risk’.
These indicators are the ones that the SCS agreed on in the 'Indicators for risk assessment and Covid-19 transmission alert levels’, and could mean a move down to Level 3 as all other indicators have also dropped, all be it they are still high, but they are within the readjusted parameters that were revised due to Omicron.
However, the other option, as has happened on previous occasions, is to maintain prudence and delay their decision for at least one more week, in case the situation worsens again, especially as the IA14 is still at 'very high risk' with 612.96 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
