Canary Islands could be first to come out of Covid-19 lockdown if ‘positive trend’ continues

THE Canary Islands could be the first to end its Covid-19 lockdown if current ‘positive trends’ are maintained.

Lluís Serra Majem, professor and specialist in Preventive Medicine and Public Health, said there is cause for “moderate optimism” in terms of the evolution of the pandemic in the Canary Islands.

He told Diario de Avisos that “without euphoria or without raising hopes” if things continue as they are in terms of infections, the Islands “could be the first to end the confinement.”

The spokesman for the Scientific Committee for the Health Emergency asked for “prudence,” and added that all data is being reassessed and monitored but “I think we can be moderately optimistic.”

The results of 58,200 tests arrived in the Islands yesterday, and a laboratory team is ready to take on “a great workload… not only in the next few weeks, but also in the next few months”:

Speaking about the possibility of lifting the confinement after the second period of 15 days of State of Alarm, Lluís Serra said that “logically this is the idea.”

Serra believes infections on the Islands has peaked and stressed he is satisfied with “the large number of lives we have all been able to save in the Canary Islands, not only because of our more privileged situation, but also because of the efforts of the population during the confinement, the reduction of flights, and the work of the healthcare personnel.”

Tenerife and Gran Canaria, he said “can be controlled better” but special consideration is being given to La Palma in Lanzarote.

The key at the moment is to maintain the current stability of hospitals and to “keep nursing homes free of coronavirus.”

There are 1,444 people infected with Covid-19 on the Canary Islands, which has seen 68 fatalities.