Spain Begins Preparations To Fight Second Wave Of Coronavirus

Amidst the rise in outbreaks of coronavirus, the Spanish government is already preparing for a second wave.

THE Health Minister Salvador Illa, presented the plan yesterday to the ministers from the country’s autonomous communities. The early response to control a potential second wave of Covid-19, aims to assess the measures and available resources in the first “control phase,” but also to determine the readiness of healthcare services in each community as well as to evaluate medical and pharmaceutical reserves.

The management of the plan will be up to each community, although the Health Ministry will intervene as the situation worsens. Another State of Alarm is not something the government wants to consider at this point, but they do not rule it out either.

The government expects communities to begin strengthening their healthcare services and focusing on track and trace systems throughout, though they admit that some communities are currently better equipped or prepared than others.

The Health Ministry is also setting a campaign in motion for a wider than usual seasonal flu vaccination and has acquired 5.2 million doses. Illa explained that the idea is to vaccinate 75 per cent of the population over 65, healthcare workers, and 60 per cent of pregnant women and other risk groups. This way, the ‘clashing’ of both viruses hopefully will be reduced.