On Thursday this week, and for the first time in a few months, Malaga province, including the Costa del Sol, recorded 100 new positive Covid-19 cases in the previous 24 hours. This was a 20 per cent increase on Wednesday when 80 positive PCR tests were recorded.

It was a similar situation in the whole Andalucía region, where regional Health ministry data showed 422 new cases on Thursday, the biggest increase since 5 April.

Andalucía had 38 positive cases per 100,000 people active through PCRtest on Thursday, well below the national average of 96.8.

The province of Almeria is in the worst position in the region. This area recorded one more death and 128 positive cases in the previous 24 hours on Thursday this week.

Just over half of new outbreaks regionally are being reported in family gatherings, with few cases each, although officials urged people to try to meet family outdoors, not share cutlery or plates, keep groups small and wear masks when not eating.

There were five new outbreaks in Malaga province on Thursday linked to bars and clubs, said officials.

First local death in a month

Also on Thursday, for the first time since 9 July, Malaga province recorded one death due to the virus, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 290 locally. There were five new hospital admissions announced on Thursday in the province.

The majority of local outbreaks in Malaga province are still being recorded in the resorts of the western Costa del Sol.

Hospitalisations still low

While recorded cases locally are creeping higher, experts were pointing out that the number of hospitalisations is not as yet increasing much, due to lower average age of the patients diagnosed in recent weeks, compared with the first phase of the pandemic in the spring.

According to figures published by the regional health authorities (up to Friday 7 August), of 539 people who returned positive PCR lab tests in the previous 14 days, the largest age group was 30 to 44 (202 cases, 37.5% of the total).

The next group in size was formed by 15 to 29-year-olds (198 cases, 36% of the total) and 25 children up to 14 were also diagnosed. This shows that nearly 80% of the new cases of contagion are under the age of 45.

In the over-65 age group, 26 people tested positive in the two weeks up to Friday 7 August.