Local

Second dose of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine rolled out to care homes and public hospitals

Ángel Escalera

The coronavirus vaccination campaign in Andalucía has entered the phase of injecting the second dose in care homes and to public health professionals who fight the pandemic on the front line. Twenty-one days after the first dose of the ... At the Hospital Clínico in Malaga a hundred health professionals received their second doses of the Pfizer vaccine. The first was a cleaner, María Isabel Agredano. “I am very excited. The vaccine is the great hope that humanity has to get out of the ... doses will continue to be given throughout the week in care homes, social health centres and public hospitals where 21 days have elapsed since the first injection was administered. Every week, 20 per cent of the vaccines received in Andalucía are kept

National

Group demands action to 'save lives, save the economy and save tourism' in Spain

Pilar Martínez

Association of Hotel Directors (AEDH) and private health groups has put together a plan to “save lives, save the economy and save tourism and avoid the destruction of companies and jobs that are linked to the tourism sector and that directly and indirectly ... to be able to solve the state of health emergency in which we have been immersed for almost a year. The vaccination of the majority of Spaniards is not enough to alleviate the effects of this crisis and to be able to overcome the situation," says ... possible. Furthermore, they request that the offer of collaboration from private health care providers be considered. Another proposal is to require the issue of a health passport at origin to reopen connectivity first on a national level, then on a

Local

Only seven test positive out of 430 in Marbella's mass Covid-19 screening

JOSÉ MARÍA MARTÍN

...time of their antigen test, which was carried out in one of the Junta’s mobile health units in the Palacio de Congresos Adolfo Suárez car park. One of those tested was Jesús, who said he did not hesitate for a second to attend the appointment "given ... the importance of this type of evidence". "I am one of those who has already had the virus, luckily with mild symptoms," he said. After carrying out the tests, the health personnel told the participants that, if it was positive, they would be

National

Spain approaches 100,000 daily jabs after starting Moderna vaccinations

MELCHOR SÁIZ-PARDO

The rate of vaccination against the coronavirus in Spain continues to gather pace but it is still well behind the target set by central government in Madrid. Spain’s Ministry of Health, led by Salvador Illa, reported that in the last 24 hours the ... regional health services inoculated 94,548 doses, one per cent more than the 93,597 injected the previous day, which had been the best figure since the campaign began on 27 December. Moderna vaccine On Thursday the first 99 doses of the 35,700 Moderna ... vaccines that arrived this week were injected. Although the rate of vaccination has improved since last week, Spain is still far from the quarter of a million jabs a day that the Ministry of Health has set as a goal to achieve 70 per cent of the

Local

Andalucía to start vaccinating over 80s living in the community from next week

Ángel Escalera

...to vaccinate private health professionals who work on the front line of the fight against Covid, an inoculation that was launched for public health personnel on 27 December. The vaccine from the North American company Moderna is also due to arrive ... between each injection according to the manufacturer. The effectiveness is claimed to be 95 per cent and immunity is achieved within seven days of receiving the second dose. Health officials have reminded people who have been given the first dose that

National

Junta calls on Madrid to consider total lockdown with new measures set to be announced on Friday

europa press / JOSÉ LUIS PIEDRA

...should be declared, Moreno said that "countries with very powerful economies and health systems" such as Germany are resorting to this measure, because "the British variant is causing a lot of damage in Europe". But he pointed out that "this decision ... rate, but "we never rule out anything" and in any case “the Government of Spain should be thinking about whether to take such a measure for the whole of the country". Curfew The Junta's health minister, Jesús Aguirre, has also renewed calls to ... Spain's Health minister Salvador Illa to bring the night curfew forward an hour to 9pm - a proposal that has so far been rejected by the national government. Aguirre justified the request saying, "Measures like that are necessary because we are in a

National

Spain's tourism industry calls to be a vaccination priority sector

Pilar Martínez

...holiday destination,” he says. Vaccination hotels Meanwhile the Costa del Sol hoteliers association Aehcos has offered the use of its members’ establishments to the health authority to help in their vaccination plans. "The association has

National

Spain's Minister of Health rules out home confinement to combat third Covid-19 wave

MELCHOR SÁIZ-PARDO

There will be no new home confinement to combat the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic says Spain's health minister Salvador Illa. He said the central government doesn’t even consider a new state of alarm that empowers regions to lock up their ... citizens at home. "It is not even in our minds," said the Minister of Health, who is convinced that the current powers (approved on 25 October and in place until 9 May) are enough to stop the new onslaught of the virus. Despite acknowledging that the

National

Andalucía's Covid-19 committee of experts to meet to tighten restrictions as infections increase

EUROPA PRESS

...recent days. This was announced this Wednesday by the regional government’s health minister Jesús Aguirre on Canal Sur Radio. Aguirre admitted that the data is "worrying", with an exponential increase in the accumulated incidence per 100,000 ... a foreseeable worsening of the situation. The health minister said that this Friday the advisory committee on high impact public health alerts will meet in Andalucía, to decide "more restrictive measures" than those adopted last week, which will

Gibraltar

Gibraltar cross-border worker dies from coronavirus

Debbie Bartlett

There have been no deaths from Covid-19 in Gibraltar, but this week came the sad news that a cross-border worker, a woman in her 40s who lived and was diagnosed with the disease in Spain, has died. This week 22 people (11 staff members and 11 pupi

National

Spain will receive the first doses of the Moderna vaccine 'in 7 to 10 days'

MELCHOR SÁIZ-PARDO

Spain could begin vaccinating against the coronavirus with the Moderna formula, mRNA-1273, as early as next week. Spain’s Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, has announced that the multinational has told the national government that, after Brussels

National

Junta confirms 16 cases of new strain of Covid-19 virus in Andalucía

EUROPA PRESS

The Junta de Andalucía has confirmed a total of 16 cases of the new variant of the coronavirus, that was first identified in Britain, with the regional government's health minister Jesús Aguirre claiming "some cases come from people arriving

Local

Only three Covid-free villages remain in Malaga province since the start of the pandemic

ROSSEL APARICIO

Only three small villages in Malaga province have not registered any positive cases of the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic according to official data published by the Junta de Andalucía. They are villages of less than 300 inhabitants of

National

Chocolate cake health safety alert for product sold in supermarkets

SUR

Consumers with an allergy or intolerance to milk across Spain have been warned not to eat a chocolate cake this has been incorrectly labelled. Analysis of the product has discovered the presence of milk that has not been declared on the label. I

LifeStyle

How to lose weight and keep it off

TATE MCCLELLAN

...and eat a well-balanced wholesome diet with a regular exercise regimen you can live with. Miracle diets do not work; a proper diet and exercise plan will! Tate McClellan, MBA/ MS is ACE Health Coach (USA), former Miss

Local

Health workers among SUR Malagueño 2020 prize winners

SUR

Health workers featured prominently in the 2020 Malagueño of the Year Awards held on Thursday. This is the twenty-first time the prizes have been given out to people and organisations who have made a significant contribution to the life of Malaga ... province. The scaled-down ceremony due to coronavirus was organised by SUR and Unicaja Banco as usual. Among the winners were the 30,000 health workers in the province who received a prize collected by six people representative of their profession.

National

Andalucía tells Madrid: 'We need more vaccines'

EUROPA PRESS

Andalusian Health Service (SAS) is prepared to vaccinate at all times every day but we need more vaccines,” Bendodo concluded.

Todos los lunes y jueves vamos a actualizar la incidencia en

Gibraltar

Eight cross-border workers test positive for Covid-19 in Gibraltar

Debbie Bartlett

Testing for coronavirus which is being carried out in Gibraltar has detected several cross-border workers who have proven positive, most of them employed in the care sector. This is now reflected in the daily figures issued by the government, showing

National

Spain's 'word of the year' is announced

MIGUEL LORENCI

...disturbing words, such as conspiranoia and infodemic. Defined by the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) as "temporary and generally imposed isolation of a population, a person or a group for health or safety reasons", it was noted that the term "has marked a good

Local

Health service hopes to have 35,000 people vaccinated across Malaga by the end of January

Ángel Escalera

...cooperative and they will deal, free of charge, with onward distribution to health centres. The Junta's Minister of Health, Jesús Aguirre, said that Andalucía has already made a centralised purchase of 25 million special syringes for the vaccinations and ... be administered to the priority groups, which include the elderly in care homes and health personnel. Junta spokesman Elías Bendodo said, "Andalucía is ready." Malaga province's plans Local health centres will distribute and administer the

Local

Covid-19: Municipal borders to close in Malaga city and eight major Costa del Sol towns

ALBERTO GOMEZ

...person, health appointments and professional, business or legal obligations. The new ban will come into force as soon as the change is published in the BOJA, the regional government's official gazette. The new, tigher mobility restrictions were

LifeStyle

"After water purification, vaccination has saved the highest number of lives"

ALBERTO GÓMEZ

Daniel Ocaña does not find it surprising that some people are sceptical about the coronavirus and are opposed to a vaccine: "That happens with every health alarm," he says. This doctor, a member of the Vaccine Advisory Committee of Andalucía and the ... In Andalucía we try to programme these things. The health system has its limits. Last year 1.2 million people were vaccinated against flu and another half a million against pneumococcus. But GPs have to carry on with their other work as well. ... cardiovascular pathologies, arrhythmia... Does it worry you that so many people seem to be sceptical about vaccines? That happens every time there is a health alarm, some people will be negative about it. But the main problem with regard to vaccination is

National

Pfizer delays the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines to Spain scheduled for today

EFE

The pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has told Spain’s Ministry of Health that the next delivery of coronavirus vaccines scheduled for today, Monday, will be delayed until Tuesday. In a statement, the Ministry of Health explained that Pfizer Spain had

Travel

The Directory: Health and fitness staycation essentials in Andalucía

Andrew Forbes

...offers Health & Fitness breaks hosted with professional coaches. Guests looking to maximise privacy and social distancing will appreciate the private villas, and the guest rooms and suites distributed among the sub-tropical gardens with independent ... access, without the need to pass through a busy hotel foyer. Puente Romano is also home to probably the most exclusive health and fitness training facility on the coast, with cutting-edge design, new Technogym equipment, and studios for spinning, ... pilates, yoga and boxing. Puente Romano Health & Fitness also has an on-site clinic managed by Executive Health, providing comprehensive health diagnostics and expert advice on nutrition. This includes advanced body screening, providing information on

National

Spain’s health minister gives control to regional governments to ban travel and further limit gatherings - if needed

Spain’s Ministry of Health has authorised the autonomous communities to harden the festive movement and gathering plans if they deem the situation requires it in their local areas. The announcement will allow the regional governments to apply

National

Spain to roll out Covid-19 vaccinations nationally on 27 December

MELCHOR SÁIZ-PARDO / ÁLVARO SOTO

Spain's Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, has announced that coronavirus vaccination Spain will begin on Sunday, 27 December, the date set by the European Union to begin the immunisation process. The minister revealed that on the 26 December or

Gibraltar

Spirit of Discovery cruise ship asked not to call at Gibraltar

Debbie Bartlett

The Spirit of Discovery cruise ship, which was due to visit Gibraltar on Saturday was asked not to do so and to continue its journey to Southampton after its captain warned that there were 89 suspected cases of Norovirus among the 868 passengers and

Local

Only five small towns in Malaga province have remained free of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic

ROSSEL APARICIO

In the countdown to the Christmas celebrations there are only five small towns in the Malaga provice that have remained virus-free since since the start of the pandemic in March. The fortunate towns are Atajate, Benadalid, Canillas de Albaida, Fara

LifeStyle

'Mushrooms don't cure Covid but they do have a host of health benefits'

ALEKK M. SAANDERS

...cultures have been enthusiastic about edible fungi, both in culinary and health contexts. Mushrooms are low in calories and fat. They contain a modest amount of fibre and are rich in antioxidants, including a number of B vitamins. In traditional Chinese

Local

Southern Spain's Sierra Nevada ski resort opens this week

EUROPA PRESS

...of its usual capacity. The start of the winter season was originally scheduled for 28 November but the health crisis and movement restrictions to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Andalucía forced the postponement. However, from 18

Local

Bishop of Malaga officially suspends all Holy Week processions this year

JESÚS HINOJOSA

On 29 December, the archbishop of Seville suspended the Semana Santa (Holy Week) processions due to the coronavirus health crisis. The following day, the Archbishop of Granada did the same, and he was followed by the bishop of Cadiz, on 8 January. ... Elías Bendodo, said that "all the acts that are planned for the next Holy Week must be adapted to the health protocol in force at that time". “It will not be the Holy Week of two years ago but neither was last year when there was nothing.” He said

Local

Costa health professionals worried about local capacity to administer Covid vaccines

Alberto GÓMEZ

With local health centres already stretched to the limit, staff are worried about how they will cope with giving so many vaccinations next year, following the government's Covid-19 vaccination strategy announcement this week. Malaga province has ... over one million people with only 4,000 existing nurses to do all the work, they say. "Just thinking about it," confessed one health centre nurse, "is making us quiver". Unions say it is impossible to take on more people as there aren't enough ... with the skills and they are urging the regional government to lure back Spanish health workers from overseas. Marbella council has already offered up the resort's congress centre for vaccinations if needed.

National

Spain's Health ministry proposes limiting Christmas and New Year's dinners to six people

A. Aspiroz / A. Soto

health measures against Covid-19 for the celebration of the Christmas festivities" which this newspaper group has had access to. The draft set of measures also mentions company lunches and dinners, which would also have a limit of six people with a

National

Spain records 22,013 new coronavirus positives and 334 deaths since Friday

Álvaro Soto

Spain’s Ministry of Health has notified 22,013 new Covid-19 positives this Monday, a figure higher than the 21,309 on the same day of the previous week. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the total number of infections in Spain has risen to ... 1,819,249, according to official data. And, since March, the health ministry has computed 49,260 deaths with positive coronavirus tests results, although the excess mortality during the pandemic is estimated to be around 70,000 deaths, according to a report

Local

Doctors perform thyroid surgery using a new and less invasive technique

ÁNGEL ESCALERA

A patient has recently undergone thyroid surgery using a new technique. The successful procedure, which is known as 'transoral thyroidectomy' and is carried out via the mouth, was performed at the HLA El Ángel hospital by Thai surgeon Thanyawat Sasan

Local

Regional government president hints that Andalucía’s Christmas easing of restrictions could be further tweaked

RAQUEL MERINO

...the pandemic in the community. Moreno has announced a new health experts meeting for Thursday in which the available data will be analysed and decisions could be made ahead of the start of the second phase of easing of restrictions on Friday. From

National

Spain plans to start the Covid-19 vaccination campaign on 4 or 5 January

ÁLVARO SOTO

Spain’s Ministry of Health and the autonomous communities are proposing that the coronavirus vaccination campaign will begin even before the arrival of the Three Kings. Either 4 or 5 January are the dates being studied for the first immunisations ... to take place, explained Health minister Salvador Illa, once the European Medicines Agency (EMA) authorise the Pfizer vaccine at its meeting on 29 December and the European Commission confirms the go-ahead the next day or on 31 December. The ... be immunised with all the necessary guarantees.” In the first phase, health personnel, elderly people living in residences and those with disabilities will be vaccinated Spain still does not know exactly how many vaccines will arrive in the first

National

Pfizer to temporarily reduce Covid-19 vaccine supplies to Europe

MELCHOR SÁIZ-PARDO

Spanish Ministry of Health, according to sources from the department headed by Salvador Illa, still does not know to what extent these limitations will affect its current supply, which is set at about 350,000 vials per week. But health sources said that

Local

Dog found in bag of rubble in Malaga now seeking new permanent home

IGNACIO LILLO

...over a year old and about 40 kilos of nobility and kindness. Back to good health Since he left the vets, where they managed to bring him back to health and stabilise him through the use of transfusions, medication and special food, he has been

Local

The 35 Malaga municipalities which will have their borders shut from Sunday

Daryl Finch

...person, health appointments and professional, business or legal obligations. These restrictions will come into place at 12.01am on Sunday 17 January. Up-to-date information, broken down by municipality, can be found (in Spanish) here.