Junta's committee of Covid experts to meet following the 'slow' and 'steady' rise in the incidence rate

Aguirre was answering questions from journalists after taking part in an event in Cordoba to mark World Diabetes Day.

"The rise is slow but steady and we have to assess it to see if it is necessary to take any measures to be able to stop it," said Aguirre.

Also, when asked about the upcoming winter season festivities, he said that people in Andalucía need to be "cautious" and "prudent". "I hope that, because of the large number of people we have vaccinated, the evolution of the disease is not the same as other central European countries, but we have to be prepared for it," he said.

Aguirre, referring to the vaccination rate with a third dose in the elderly, said that the Junta "is very happy" because there are already "more than 500,000 people" with the additional dose in the region.

"We have to continue because we have doses to spare," Aguirre pointed out, after adding that the Ministry is also awaiting the report from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) about vaccinating children under eleven years old. "We are ready to vaccinate them," he pointed out.

The Health minister also reminded that he "has already asked" central government to lower the vaccination age for additional ‘booster’ doses to 60 years and that the Junta "will continue" to push to reduce the age range for this third vaccine "until it reaches the entire population in due course."