On Saturday, a new infection record was registered in the Canary Islands. 5369 new cases of infection were registered within 24 hours, reports local authorities. This is the highest number of daily infections ever, the Norwegian newspaper writes Canariavisen.
On Sunday, 480 were hospitalized, of which 65 in the intensive care unit.
Most of the infection is registered on the largest of the islands, Gran Canaria. Here, the pressure on the health services must be so great that a local medical association fears for the situation.
– We treat between 60 and 70 patients a day. Yesterday I treated 68 patients. It’s brutal, and almost double what’s reasonable. The situation is not sustainable, says Ana Joyane to the newspaper Canary Islands7.
21 infected – tests 14 million
Up to 15 days waiting time
Joyane is president of the association for doctors in the primary health service in the Canary Islands, and says that the mental and physical pressure leads to colleagues having to report sick.
There are long queues at several health centers. Here, among other things, doctors spend a lot of time writing medical reports for corona-positive patients.
“Most of these patients do not need additional health care, as they have mild symptoms,” says Joyane.
As a result of the high sickness absence, there is now between six and 15 days of waiting time to get a telephone consultation with a GP. This is despite the fact that several doctors treat twice as many patients as usual, says the association president.
When not through
Norwegian Leo Lunde has lived in Gran Canaria for around this year, and runs the newspaper Canariavisen. Here they work, among other things, with informing tourists about what applies in the event of potential infection.
– You can no longer count on the authorities here, when you are looking for answers, Lunde says to Dagbladet.
The editor has taken on board the challenges in the primary health care service, and explains that, as far as he knows, this is due to both the high demand for sick leave and corona testing.
A corona telephone has been set up for both residents and tourists. You should be able to contact these with questions about insulation and testing, but here it is almost impossible to get through, Lunde says.
– Many frustrated Norwegians
He says that daily life in the Canary Islands is largely normal. Some of the tourists are back after the pandemic, but the editor assumes that it is far from a normal year.
– There are still a number of tourists down here. Especially in the tourist areas, you see a lot of people out at bars and restaurants, says Lunde.
– Have you heard from Norwegians about the corona situation?
– Yes, I have heard from many frustrated Norwegians. Recently I talked to a Norwegian family who was struggling a lot. They had ended up in isolation, and therefore could not go home. But they were evicted from the home they rented because new tenants were coming in.
Local authorities have also set up a form of free insurance, which will cover expenses in connection with isolation.
– But no one gets hold of the authorities, and therefore does not know what to do.
Claims he was infected in the test queue
– The situation is unsustainable
Doctor Joyane begs the authorities to allow doctors to drop the follow-up of coronary heart disease with mild symptoms, so that they can spend their time with other patients.
– The situation is unsustainable. We ask that more doctors be deployed at the health stations.
However, the doctor fears that the situation will only worsen in the coming weeks, as the infection is now rising sharply. In the period from December 27 to January 2, the infection increased by 46.5 percent in the Canary Islands, according to official figures. Since then, several records have been set.
– At this pace, I do not think we will persevere until this month is over.
Certain steps have been taken to deal with the growing influx of corona patients. Doctors, nurses and administrative staff have been brought from mainland Spain.
Turns off sex alarm in Gran Canaria
Raises preparedness
It is far from as strict restrictions in the Canary Islands as in Norway. The semi-autonomous Spanish region, like the rest of the country, has mandatory bandages outdoors and indoors, where it is difficult to keep your distance.
A corona passport has been introduced, which must be presented at the entrance to bars, concerts and similar places. There are also capacity restrictions, but these vary from island to island.
On Monday, the risk level will be raised on several of the holiday islands. La Palma, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are now at level three, while Tenerife is at level four, the highest level.
The reason for this is, in addition to the rising infection, the number of patients occupying bed posts in the intensive care unit, write local authorities. The number of intensive care patients in Tenerife increased by almost 27 percent last week, from the week before.
About 52 percent of those admitted to the intensive care units in the Canary Islands are not fully vaccinated. This is despite the fact that over 80 percent of the island’s inhabitants are fully vaccinated.
–
